Merch Question

Longtime reader and question for doomers - 

Is the main thing - besides all the other main things - holding Daniel Bryan back the fact that most of his merchandise sucks?  One of the main things that pushed CM Punk to the next level besides the Pipe Bomb and incredible MITB match was the fact that he debuted an awesome new t-shirt and it sold like crazy.  I'm sure that most of Bryan's shirts involving goats and beards doesn't do him any favors.  Steve Austin has said in the past that he was very hands-on in designing all his merchandise and recognized the value it had portraying his character (and making him shit tons of money).  So is Bryan being too passive?  WWE not getting behind him enough?  Or would wearing the Sin Cara mask just cure all his problems?

Bryan Alvarez rants about this subject on the radio show all the time, and speaking as a guy who basically never leaves the house without an Affliction shirt or other variation thereof, I really have no call to be critiquing the quality of merch.  They seem pretty ugly to me, but I'm not a big fan of Punk's shirt either, so what do I know?  I think if Bryan got something designed with the (American) dragon motif, like the tights that RVD used to wear or the shirts Mikey Whipwreck wore in ECW, then he might have something.  But yes, I think Bryan might be too passive in this situation.  Generally if the guys go to the merch people with a cool idea for a shirt, it'll get produced.