MainGate defends QB showdown T-shirt - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

It's becoming the most talked about football game of the pre-season. The Indianapolis Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, the NFL's number one draft pick, are heading to Washington this weekend to play the Redskins.

The match-up between the number one and number two draft picks - Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III - is so big that it has its own T-shirt.

Indianapolis-based MainGate has produced the $35 Quarterback Showdown shirt featuring the two rookie quarterbacks.

MainGate president David Moroknek says his company looks at all the match-ups when the NFL schedules come out and determines which games might have some elements that are worthy of T-shirt commemoration.

"When this came up, we said, 'You know what? That is pretty special.' It's not since Peyton Manning's rookie year that the number one and number two quarterback selections - with Ryan Leaf - have played in a pre-season game. So we said, 'you know what? These guys are so highly touted, there's so much hype about them in both markets, let's do something fun,'" said Moroknek.

Moroknek says reaction has been mixed although sales are good.

"There's a lot of negative talk of 'it's a pre-season game.' Kind of 'who cares?' But you know what? A lot of fans do care and it is the first time hopefully of many, many epic battles between these two great players and we want to make the fans have something fun to shop for and have something collectible, so why not?"

But the hype has caused some chagrin in the sports world.

ESPN's Paul Kuharsky wrote, "If you see that shirt and say, 'Hey, I'd like to walk around in one of those,' I beg you to reconsider. That money can get you a lot of other good things."

Moroknek says everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

"We certainly feel it's a great piece of memorabilia to have. We're not forcing anybody to buy it but there's gonna be a lot of fans, and they've already shown it online, and when we're at the game this weekend; they're gonna like it. Is it for everybody? No. But it's gonna be enough people who like it and we're happy to offer it to them," he said.

Moroknek says Peyton Manning remains a huge sales driver for memorabilia like T-shirts and jerseys. In fact, Peyton-related sales are number one, followed by Luck and Griffin. But according to Moroknek, Luck's success could help buoy the Colts much in the way Peyton Manning's did.

"As he develops, Luck is gonna bring that same type of excitement to Indianapolis," Moroknek said.

Buy the T-shirt