By Liz Oakes
The Cincinnati Enquirer

KENWOOD - Outraged Bengals fans poured into a store selling Christian items at Kenwood Towne Centre on Sunday, hoping to buy a ball cap similar to one that got quarterback Jon Kitna in trouble with NFL officials last week.

Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna, shown wearing a hat with a cross on it at training camp in Aug. (AP/file photo)

Jennifer Giroux, co-owner of The Catholic Shop, said within an hour of opening on Sunday, the store sold out of 500 black caps with an orange cross in the center.

The shop sold the same number on Saturday, and had to turn away customers from as far away as West Virginia. She said the store was taking orders for a shipment of 1,300 caps due in Tuesday.

"Some people are coming in because they think it's great that he's wearing the cross, and some people are coming in because it's America, and there's freedom of speech and religion, and the NFL shouldn't own somebody's body," Giroux said.

Susan Germann, 43, drove an hour and a half from Ripley on Sunday to pick up some hats. "I don't believe you should fine somebody because they got a cross on them," Germann said.

Kitna is appealing a $5,000 fine from the NFL for wearing "unapproved apparel" during a postgame news conference on Dec. 14.

The Bengals quarterback, a Christian, wore a custom-made cap with a white cross on it after the 49ers game; the league requires players to wear NFL-licensed clothing 90 minutes before and after the game during on-air interviews.

Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said he had four calls last week from people wanting to chip in toward the penalty. The team hasn't taken a position on the fine, maintaining it's between the league and Kitna.

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E-mail loakes@enquirer.com