He took a stand against Colin Kaepernick’s advertisement for Nike, but it may have cost him his business five months later.
Stephen Martin owns Prime Time Sports in Colorado Springs. He did not agree with Nike using Kaepernick as part of an advertisement campaign. Kaepernick, who started taking a knee in 2016 during the national anthem before NFL games in protest of wrongdoings African Americans and minorities in the U.S., was featured in an ad that said "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."
Kaepernick, who opted out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent in 2017, CBS Sports reported, has not played a game since 2016, according to his NFL stats page.
Martin, whose stock at the time was from 40 to 50 percent Nike branded products, sold it all at a steep discount to get rid of it in protest against the Kaepernick ad, KCNC reported.
Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Now, Martin is closing the doors on his business.
"Being a sports store and not having Nike jerseys is kind of like being a milk store without milk or a gas station without gas. They have a virtual monopoly on jerseys. There is no other option," Martin told KKTV.
Martin also canceled an appearance by Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall after he took a knee in 2016, The Colorado Springs Gazette reported.
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