Nike’s 2018 “Just Do It” campaign, which featured Colin Kaepernick, drew competing reactions from both sides of the political spectrum.
For Colorado’s Prime Time Sports owner Stephen Martin, it meant slashing prices on Nike gear in an effort to take Nike out of his store completely. Now, the store is closing five months later.
According to koaa.com, Martin will close the Colorado Springs sports apparel store after 20 years because he can no longer afford his lease. He blamed his protest of Nike for playing a major part in the store’s closure.
Via koaa.com:
“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,” said Martin.
Martin says he’s the only full service, licensed fan shop between Castle Rock and the New Mexico border. Despite having all 32 NFL team’s apparel in his store, he doesn’t have any current players’ jerseys–because of his decision to drop all Nike apparel.
Prime Time was the same store that canceled an autograph signing with Brandon Marshall after the Broncos linebacker protested police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.
Martin came to the realization that Kaepernick and Marshall have a lot of supporters who can shop elsewhere.
“As much as I hate to admit this, perhaps there are more Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick supporters out there than I realized,” said Martin.
Martin expects to close the store next month.
