Sports chains launched a bevy of aggressive Black Friday deals that appeared to click with consumers. As usual, the big draw were many bigger ticket items such as treadmills, indoor cycling bikes, GPS gadgets, game boards, gun safes, kayaks, and golf clubs that touted savings from $100 to $500. But savings of 30% to 70% could be found across many soft goods categories.

Many chose to feature the best deals only in the morning although some stretched into the early afternoon and others ran all day. Some stores ran a number of deals on Saturday and Sunday. Both Gander Mountain and Bass Pro joined Sears and a few other chains that were open on Thanksgiving. Most of the major sports brands – Nike, adidas, The North Face, Columbia, Champion, etc. – were featured prominently in apparel and footwear deals although Under Armour didn't seem to be heavily marked down. Toning shoes also weren't for the most part explicitly spelled out in the Black Friday ads as well.

The following is a review of some of the Black Friday weekend deals:

  • Academy Sports & Outdoors: Doors opened on Black Friday at 5:00 a.m. with Friday-only deals lasting until supplies lasted. Among the big offers were a Stiga Edge Table Tennis Table, $69.99 (regular price of $99.99); NFL Replica Jerseys, $49.99 ($69.99 reg. price); Harley or Barbie Volkswagon 6V Motorized Ride-Ons, $79.99  ($119.99 reg. price); NCAA Snuggies, $16.99 (19.99 reg. price); and Everlast Anniversary 80-lb Heavy Bag kit, $49.99 ($69.99 reg. price¬). Academy Sports also had a number of “2-Day Hot Deals” on Friday and Saturday, including an Outdoor Gourmet Five Burner Grill with Side-Burner, $199.99 ($299.99 reg. price).

  • Dunham's Sports: Early bird specials ran from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Black Friday promising “huge deals from 30% to 60%!” Deals included a Rio 84″ Billiard Table, $250 during EB special ($299.99 after 2.00 p.m., $450 originally); Vibe 84# Hockey Table, $199 ($299.99 after 2:00 p.m., $450 originally); Nike SQ Dymo Round Driver, $88.88 ($129.99 after 2:00 p.m., originally $300) and Crocs Mammoth Shoe, $19.99 ($29.99 after 2:00 p.m., originally $40.)

  • Modell's Sporting Goods: The Northeast chain ran a number of “Hot Black Friday Deals” from 5:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. while supplies lasted. They included 50% off the MSRP for all Nike fleece; 40% off all Nike Pro Compression apparel; and 33% off any one fan item. Timberland Men's Classic Collar 6″ Boot was offered for $49.99, a $60 savings.  A number of other discounts ranging from 20% to 60% ran through Sunday as part of its “3 Days of Crazy Prices” offer.  Among the hard good offers on sale over the three-days was 50% off Wilson football and Spalding basketballs, $50 off a Bodyflex Cardio Dual Trainer ($99.99); and $10 off Team Logo Toasters ($24.99.)

  • The Sports Authority: Its “10-Hour Doorbusters!” promotion ran from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 85 people in line at each TSA location received a Holiday Bonus Bucks Card worth $10 to $500 usable on Black Friday. The doorbuster deals included buy-one, get one 50% off its entire stock of footwear although Ugg, Under Armour and Skechers Shape Ups only counted for the first pair only. Other doorbuster deals included an Image 20.OVT Treadmill, $269.99 ($450 original price); Lifetime 50″ Fusion Portable or Inground Basketball System, $179.99 ($399.99 original price), and a Bodyfit 710 Deluxe Indoor Cycling Bike, $199.99 (orig. $399.99.) Its entire stock of fan apparel and accessories were marked down 30% during the ten-hour period. The retailer also gave away 20 $500 gift cards through a Twitter promotion with Foursquare. Other “Two Days Only” specials ran on Friday and Saturday.  A $25 cash card over the two days was offered to anybody spending $125 or more on The North Face or Columbia apparel.

  • Dick's Sporting Goods: “Early Bird Specials” ran from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Offers included $15 off any pair of athletic footwear over $59.99; $15 off any regular-priced Adidas, Reebok or Nike athletic apparel  purchase over $60.00; and 25% off all boots $89.99 or more. Among the bigger ticket items, Dick's SG took “an extra $100 off” any Sole Treadmill and ellipticals. A TaylorMade Burner HT Driver went for $129.99; a savings of $170; while a Vertex 85 Kayak sold for $159.98 (currently, $199.99; reg. price, $279.99). Its entire stock of ammunition was offered for half off. Customers received a $25 cash card for purchasing any North Face, Columbia or Spyder product over $150.00. Dicks SG also ran a number of “Friday and Saturday Only” specials. Stores opened on Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

  • Finish Line: The specialty shoe chain introduced Thanksgiving Day discounts on its finishline.com home page, and sent customers e-mails about the deals as they became live. In-store savings over Black Friday weekend included licensed hoodies featuring emblems from NCAA schools, the NFL, NHL and MLB at 30% to 50% off;  sneaker deals as low as $19.99, and select toning footwear up to 70% off.

  • Gander Mountain: The hunt & fish chain was open on Thanksgiving from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. while also holding in-store early bird specials on Friday from 6 a.m.to 10:00 a.m as well as on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Weekend deals included a Ruger LCP .380 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol, $289.99, a savings of $60; and a Perception Sport America Recreational Kayak Package, $399.99, a savings of $400.

  • Bass Pro: Bass Pro held a five-hour sale from 6:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.  Deals included a Garmin nuvi 1490T $199.99 (reg. priced $299.99), a Masterbuilt 30” Stainless Steel Smokehouse, $179.94, ($299.99 reg. price); and a Moultrie Game Spy D50 Combo camera, $79.94, described as its “lowest price of the year!”

  • MC Sports: Doors opened at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday. Early bird specials ran from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and featured a heavy emphasis on gifts under $10.00. These included adidas Santiago Reversible Sack Packs, 2 for $9.98 (after EB special, $9.99 each); Nike 3-pack Dri-Fit athletic socks, $9.98 (after EB special $11.99, $15 reg. price) and a Soft Air USA Colt Double Eagle Air Sort Handgun, $9.98 (after EB special, $11.99, $21.99 reg. price). Bigger ticket items included a Sportcraft 3-Point Throwdown 2-Player Basketball Game $99.98 (after EB, $119.99, reg. price, $199.99); and a Pro-Form 9.0 ZT E Treadmill, $499.98, (after EB special, $599.99, $999.99 reg. price.)

  • Sport Chalet: Opened at 5:00 on Black Friday. Friday-only specials included Asics GEL-Kayano 16 Running shoe, $109.97, down from $130.97; 30% off Columbia, adidas, Nike and Champion apparel (25% off on Saturday and Sunday); and a Magellan Roadmate 1700 GPS, $149.97 (sales price $199.97, orig. price $249.99.) Customers spending $100 or more received a $25 cash card valid from 11/30 through 12/6.

  • Cabela’s: Opened at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday with a five-hour sale. Specials included a Savage Rimfire scoped combos,  $199.99, down from $249.99; a Wildgame Innovations IR4 camera, $59.99, down from $99.99; Caribou Creek mens’ and women’s fleece jackets, $9.99, down from $19.99; and a Cabela’s heavy-duty meat slicer, $59.99, down from $129.99. The hunt and fish chain also held a five-day holiday sale that ran through Tuesday Nov. 30.