The Dallas Morning News
Monday, November 24, 2003

Spanish NFL

By The Associated Press

(Houston-AP) -- Licensed N-F-L products are finally speaking the language of more fans.

The league this season introduced Spanish-language team shirts to retailers in eight cities.

Spanish-language items will also be heavily marketed the week of the Super Bowl, which is February first in Houston.

Finding a "Viva los (VEE'-vuh lows) Houston Texans" shirt at Houston-area Wal-Marts is now impossible.

The first run of merchandise, made by V-F Imagewear of Florida, sold out fast in the Bayou City.

The same story goes in Tampa, San Diego, Miami, San Francisco, Oakland, Phoenix and Denver.

The league's focus on the fast-growing Latino market is at the heart of today's "N-F-L Hispanic Summit" in Houston.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and other league officials visited to hear about the Houston Texans' outreach to Latino fans.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)