This Map of Best-Selling Throwback Jerseys Is My Favorite Piece of Branded Content This Year

We talk a lot about the power of longform storytelling, but sometimes the smartest thing you can do is to blow people’s minds with a map of your user data.

We saw that earlier this month, when Pornhub released its “Porn Equality” map, which showed that the highest share of gay-porn watchers comes from the Bible Belt. And we saw it even more recently, when retro-sports-clothing retailer Mitchell & Ness made a map of the best-selling throwback jersey by every state, which you can see in the image above.

You might wonder why someone would want a map of the best-selling throwback jerseys by state. Well, if you have to ask that question, you’re clearly not one of the millions of Americans in the market for throwback jerseys (which are awesome). Damn near every sports blog on the planet—including Deadspin—has picked it up in the last 24 hours.

Mitchell & Ness also included a handy guide to each state and jersey, but some questions remain: Why is a Vince Carter throwback the best-selling jersey in Connecticut when he never played anywhere near the Nutmeg State? Does Kobe’s jersey—which takes the cake in seven states—really count as a throwback when he’s still technically an active player? Why does New Mexico love 1950s Chicago Cubs’ star Ernie Banks so much? Does all the Iowa love for Joe Namath signal that he should consider a run for president?

So many questions. So few answers. So many throwback jerseys I’m going to buy if I hit my mid-year bonus.