A longtime sporting goods store in Colorado Springs, is closing its doors six months after its owner decided to stop selling Nike gear following an advertising campaign centered around former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
“Being a sports store without Nike is kind of like being a milk store without milk or a gas station without gas. How do you do it? They have a monopoly on jerseys,” Prime Time Sports owner, Stephen Martin told KOAA News.
The ad featured a portrait of Kaepernick and the slogan “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” referring to Kaepernick’s kneeling protests of police brutality and social injustices.
Stopping the sale of Nike was a hit to Matin’s business, which had been operating for 20 years, according to KOAA News in Colorado Springs. Without Nike products, many of Martin’s shelves were bare and profits sunk as he couldn’t sell players’ jerseys.
Martin also canceled an autograph session with former Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, who participated in Kaepernick’s kneeling protests during the national anthem.
Prime Time Sports could not be reached for comment.
Crazy
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh) February 14, 2019
