Raiders DE Carl Nassib’s jersey No. 1 after announcing he’s gay
Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib’s jersey has been a hot commodity with fans after his monumental announcement Monday that he is gay.
A spokesperson for sports merchandise giant Fanatics said Nassib’s jersey was the No. 1 seller among NFL players both Tuesday and Monday.
Nassib’s announcement marks the first time there’s an openly gay player active in the NFL.
Raiders President Marc Badain said Tuesday the organization is fully behind Nassib
“We’re very proud of him,” Badain said. “The organization has always been built on an aggressive mentality. Mr. (Al) Davis started that when he was with the team and some of the things that he did throughout the ‘60s and ’70s and Mark (Davis) has really continued that.”
Badain echoed Mark Davis’ sentiment that in this day and age the news shouldn’t be a big deal, but noted it is significant.
“We really shouldn’t (make it a big deal), but I know it is and it will probably remain and we’ll look forward to the day when it’s not. But the organization is fully behind him, very supportive and proud of what he did yesterday.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.