European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dressed to chill _ from the cover in London s Champion sports shop on Oxford Street monarchs gear outsells nil products says store clerk Sharon Cabey. A obviously we sell More american football goods Here in London because it is More recognized since we have the monarchs our own  military exchanges also sell sportswear but done to offer the wide variety of european stores. The we aft a Ripple effect has Europe filling its sports shops with americans sports gear whether its a celtics Jersey baseball Bat or pirates Cap. Beck cradled his Cap checked for imperfections misspellings whatever and Slid the Black Cap atop his head. He smiled. There he stood the pirates logo the Crown jewel. The Cap symbolized everything great about the baseball tradition in Pittsburgh a the Honus Wagner years the Days of Roberto Clemente we Are family with Willie Stargell and Dave Parker the Barry Bonds powered National league East champions. Beck had one Small problem. He Hadnot the faintest idea where Pittsburgh was much less what Bonds did in the National league playoffs last season. He just liked the hat. A such is the climate of american sports merchandising in Europe where Topping your head with an american sports Cap has become a fashion statement and a booming business. Toby stuck walked around Heidelberg wearing baggy desert cammies an unmarked White sweatshirt and a pair of air Jordans. Atop his head he proudly displayed a bulls hat. Quot Michael Jordan a he said in his broken English As he pointed to the Crown of his head. A i know Michael Jordan because he is Good and maybe one of the Best players Ever to play basketball. I like the bulls because i done to want to dress like the other German children a the Only Way you la catch Dirk Maschok wearing los Angeles raiders garb in Berlin or Frankfurt is if its a logo laced Bullet proof Vest. He a not kidding. Like the Gritty gang infested streets of los Angeles Berlin has seen a sudden emergence of gang related incidents. Raiders gear is a favorite among gang members in the United states. And would t you know Berlin is los Angeles sister City. Quot it is very dangerous to Wear a raiders jacket in Berlin Quot says Maschok editor of the Dusseldorf based american football Magazine. Blitz. A the skinheads stand for everything against America and they Are All Over Berlin. It could get very dangerous. I heard of one person getting beat up because he was wearing a raiders jacket recently. With the raiders standing for an american team or institution the skinheads have easy targets. I done to think its As bad Here As it is in l.a., but its getting  despite such rumblings International sales of sports merchandise have shown steady increases in recent years. Students attending american German British italian dutch belgian and other european schools have made pro sports merchandise the school uniform of the �?T90s. Maschok credits the world league of american football and the a Fly a european exhibition games in London and Berlin with sparking the interest. Maschok Quot do you really believe the reason the nil made the world league was to globalize the sport of american football of course not. It was to get the europeans to buy their  and buy they have. Nico Panzini an italian living in Germany leaned against the Light Post outside Compton where he a a store clerk. He reached for a reasonable explanation Why these products have steamrolled into mainstream european lifestyle but his coffers were Bare. Quot in general Many of the europeans done to know Sis Michael Abram Nico Panzini is on Europe a sportswear bandwagon in front of Heidelberg a Compton sports store. Anything about these teams or where they Are located a a he said adjusting his Syracuse Cap. A some yes. Some of these people buying these things May know of Michael Jordan or magic Johnson because he has the aids virus. Right now its something new. Its  in London sales of nil and Olaf merchandise have been so brisk in recent years major department stores keep a steady Stock of american sports apparel on hand. Why Are europeans and displaced americans buying this stuff Maschok agrees with Panzini. A a it a fashion. Most of these people Here buying these jackets or whatever Are not familiar with the nil at All. They done to know anything about the teams or even that there Are 28 teams in the nil. Some do. Some know a Little about the raiders or 49ers, but most  the Story begins in the offices of nil properties. With its Headquarters on new York City a exclusive Park Avenue it remains the heavyweight among professional sports merchandisers in Large part because of thriving International sales and to the global popularity of raiders products. International sales accounted for $200 million of total nil properties sales of $2.2 billion last year. Spokesman Jim Connelly expects sales to increase this year now that the world league and its three european franchises a the Frankfurt Galaxy London monarchs and Barcelona dragons a have established fan bases. The Galaxy made half a million Marks nearly $325,000 from the Sale of its licensed products in just five Home games last year. The team could have sold More Galaxy marketing director Christoph Heyne says if stadium vendors had been better prepared for the mad Rush of fans who bought everything from 8-Mark bumper stickers bearing the teams logo to 250-Mark jackets. A for what is on the Market right now a the raiders 49ers goods a its a pretty risk less business a Heyne said. Sven Liebe would surely second that emotion. His fan amp fun mail order Agency in downtown Dii Seidorf watched slow sales and Little interest in nil products in the pre Galaxy Days turn into Page 4 a sunday March 8, 1992