TAMPA, Fla — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is back which may prompt fans to rush out to get more number 12 gear ahead of the 2022 season. But, fans may have a hard time finding it.
Brady’s big announcement about “unfinished business” with the Bucs was not something even local sports apparel shops expected.
“I know Tom Brady likes to tweet,” said Angel Hodnett, the store manager of Heads and tails off Kennedy Boulevard. “I immediately went on Twitter and I saw and I was like wow I guess this is legit. It’s coming from his official Twitter, this is it. I was shocked!”
She said it’s a good thing he announced it now because they were really close to updating their latest order, which they placed last fall, to include less of Brady.
“We have Brady merchandise on order, we were actually just talking about it last week like, oh maybe we should go ahead and cancel that order because obviously Brady is retired,” she said. “But, fortunately enough we did not cancel the order.”
And that’s good news because as of Monday afternoon, just 4 youth-size shirts with the number 12 and Brady printed on the back hang from a rack inside the popular sports apparel store. That’s because they sold it all during playoffs and a month ago when Brady announced it was over.
“The phones are ringing this morning, you know, what do you have Brady? The expectation is that there’s got to be something out there and they’re probably gonna run into a lot of places in Tampa that don’t have anything because they sold out during the playoffs,” she said.
Hodnett said rest assured the racks will be filled with Brady gear come July.
Sunday, Dave Gesacion and his wife got busy designing a new shirt that says “unfinished business” with the number 12 replacing the I and S after they heard the news.
“When she put that together I was like that’s it! We talked with our print shop guys and they said they could get it done quick,” he said.
The shirt has been received well by fans, he said. They have an online store called For the Bay Clothing, Co., which they opened up in 2020. They said things haven’t slowed down with all the winning in Champa Bay.
“It’s definitely been, as fans, a treat to see people wearing our stuff and getting to talk to so many people that love Tampa bay,” he said, mentioning his wife was born and raised in Tampa, and so are their kids.
Gesacion says they’ve purchased a van and wrapped it in their logo. They’re in the process of converting the inside to a store on wheels.
