As KOAA reported on Monday, Stephen Martin, owner of Prime Time Sports, said it became difficult to continue business with Nike making apparel for a lot of pro and college sports teams. The brand has exclusive contracts with the NFL and NBA, for example.
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"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.
Last year, Martin decided to boycott the recognized brand after the company's ad campaign with the out-of-work football player. Before that, he cancelled an autograph session at this store with Brandon Marshall because, like Kaepernick, he knelt during the national anthem.
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"As much as I hate to admit this, perhaps there are more Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick supporters out there than I realized," Martin told KOAA.
Martin also cited online shopping competition for a declining sales in recent years.
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Despite the closure and laying off his staff, Martin said he's leaving with dignity.
"I didn't give in to big Nike and big dollars. I didn't give in. I did it my way," Martin said.
"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 told the TV station.