A football player’s cap proves a windfall for a Catholic bookstore in Cincinnati

The NFL told the Bengals Kitna was in violation of a rule requiring all merchandise worn by players or other team personnel to be approved and licensed by the football league. The cross cap was not a licensed item.

The news hit hard in the Queen City, and upon learning of the NFL’s decision, owners of The Catholic Shop in a northern suburb decided they would begin selling the caps for $5 a pop. Since Dec. 22, they’ve sold more than 4,000 of the black caps with a white embroidered cross, and they anticipate selling up to 1,000 a day “as long as we can get them in,” said Catholic Shop co-owner Dan Giroux.