Basketball season is finally upon us. When thinking of the 76ers, one of the most notable examples of their success is the pride of their fan following.
These fans almost always sport the most bright and colorful 76ers gear, which they proudly wear to every game. Although this gear can be found at their arena, the Wachovia Center, many other stores hold a wide variety of 76ers fashion pieces for every shape and size. Since sports are generally male-dominated to begin with, the majority of fans seem to be men of all ages.
Male 76ers fans generally flaunt their love of a particular player on their backs by wearing a team jersey or replicas of a team jersey.
“Guys always buy the jerseys,” said Modell’s Sporting Goods general manager Matt Hauser. “They come in looking for A.I. and Korver jerseys and even get matching fitted hats to complete the look.”
Another staple of the men’s fashion choices when representing the 76ers is sneakers. Footlocker is one of the best-known sneaker heavens in the nation, and they always have the most updated Allen Iverson kicks.
Footlocker manager Keith Petka, who worked at the Gallery for five years, now works at the King of Prussia Footlocker, where Sixers gear sells just as much as it did when he was in Philadelphia.
“A.I.’s newest sneaker is called ‘The Answer 10,'” Petka said. “These are flying off the shelves. His old shoes, ‘The Question,’ still sell even though they are considered an old style. 76ers gear seems to be popular even up here in King of Prussia.”
Even though the vast majority of the fans are men, the 76ers hold a dedicated portion
of female followers.
“Jerseys are always popular, but we recently got a few retro 76ers T-shirts for women,” said City Sports manager Alecia Dayger. “It is something new for the girly 76ers fan so she doesn’t always have to get a jersey.”
Along with retro T-shirts, Hauser gave some tips on female fan gear.
“We have an assortment of different colored hats for guys and girls that have the 76ers logo on them,” Hauser said. “They are made in sizes to fit girls so it’s a nice option.”
Petka said he has also sold many women’s
accessories that had the 76ers’ logo on it.
“We have sold drawstring gym bags and we also sold bucket hats and caps to women 76er fans,” Petka said.
The overwhelming fan following for the 76ers has also carried over into the world of children. Clothing and toys are made to let children appreciate the popularity of the 76ers.
“Our store has child-sized jerseys and hats,” Hauser said. “We also have bobble heads of Allen Iverson and Kyle Korver, as well as toy cars and basketballs with the 76ers logo.”
These stores can fulfill every 76ers fan’s need to represent their pride for the team. If in-store shopping isn’t an option, stop at the fan gear booths at the Wachovia Center, the home of the 76ers. Purchases of fan gear can also be made through the team’s official Web site, www.nba.com/sixers, where you can get anything from 76ers jerseys to posters and even team jackets. Now let’s just hope they make it to the playoffs.
Giavanna Ippolito can be reached at giavanna.ippolito@temple.edu.
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