In online sales, it’s the Bears over the Colts

If online shoppers are any indication, there will be more fans rooting for the Chicago Bears than for the Indianapolis Colts when the Bears meet the Colts in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

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GSI Commerce Inc., which runs the National Football League’s NFLShop.com, reports that the Bears sold more jerseys through the web site in 2006 than any other team. “In what was a record-setting year for NFLShop.com in sales, the Chicago Bears have been solidly in first place in online sales throughout the season,” says Bob Liewald, executive vice president of merchandising for GSI Commerce. NFLShop.com ranks No. 130 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

While Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher’s #54 jersey was the second hottest seller on the web site in 2006, the No. 1 spot belongs to Dallas Cowboys hot rookie quarterback Tony Romo, who took over mid-season and led the Cowboys to a playoff spot.

GSI Commerce manages the NFL’s e-commerce web site and provides marketing services, including paid search, affiliate marketing, advertising with comparison shopping engines and e-mail marketing; and manages the production and mailing of the NFL Shop catalog and merchandise sales for NFL direct response television.