Nike unveiled its iconic ad campaign last September, which features former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Conservative party members were upset as they believed Kaepernick’s symbolizing kneeling during the national anthem was unpatriotic — despite the gesture intended to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Anti-Kaepernick conservatives started to burn their Nike gear in response, swearing to never shop there again — while Nike’s stock hit an all-time high.
Retailers are beginning to realize how costly their choice to boycott the sporting good mammoth really is just five months down the road.
Prime Time Sports store owner, Stephen Martin, says he cannot afford his monthly lease at Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs any longer after two decades in business.
After Martin decided to pull all Nike products from its shelves, Prime Time began to sink downward — standing in conservative support against 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,” Martin informed News5.
“As much as I hate to admit this, perhaps there are more Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick supporters out there than I realized,” he said.
Despite his business failing, Martin believes he made the right choice.
“I didn’t give in to big Nike and big dollars. I didn’t give in. I did it my way,” he shared with News5.
“That part of the military respect that’s in me just cannot be sacrificed or compromised, as I believe Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick both did. I don’t like losing a business over it, but I rather be able to live with myself,” he continued.
Martin expect the store will shut down within the month.
And it did not take long before Prime Time’s closing appeared on social media, with I-told-you-so-Twitter commenters saying:
“’That part of the military respect that’s in me just cannot be sacrificed or compromised’ Exceppppppt Kaepernick’s protest had nothing to do with the military, but whatever spin you want to put on it, have at it. Looks like it’s working out well for you.”
“It’s like the garbage took itself out.”
“The funniest part is, the “disrespect towards the military” by kneeling, that idea came from a man in the military.”
“Stephen Martin took a (misguided) stand & now he is out of business. He boycotted the biggest-selling brand in sports apparel & then his customers stopped coming in. This result is not surprising.”
“Perhaps he’s right. I’m just going for a shot in the dark here, but maybe he should have checked to see how much his sales volume involved Nike products. It would seem a reasonable place to start.”
“Nothing says patriotism like a liquidation sale.”
While others were quick to defend the store owner, saying:
“This is a complete media stunt. His business was declining long before this and the ‘decision’ to stop carrying Nike may have had more to do with being put on credit hold by the vendor.”
“This has nothing to do with Kaep and more to do with people just liking Nike. Please, just stop.”
Regardless, I think we can all agree that Nike will be taking over the world soon.
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