A major NFL sponsor from Tennessee has decided to pull its advertisements from upcoming games; raising serious concerns amongst league officials, owners, and players over whether other sponsors will begin to jump ship in the wake of last week’s player protests.
Tennessee native Allan Jones, the founder of Check into Cash, Buy Here Pay Here USA, and US Money Shops announced his companies would cease advertising in future NFL games for the duration of the season.
According to a local ABC affiliate, Jones posted his decision on social media, saying “For the 29 states we operate in, this isn’t much to them, but it’s a lot to us.”
“The Tombras group is our ad agency in Knoxville and our national media buyer for both TV and Radio…… and don’t look for Hardwick on the NFL either. Our companies will not condone unpatriotic behavior! TAKING A STAND…NOT A KNEE!” he posted.
The NFL found itself in the midst of a media firestorm last week, following a string of player protests against the national anthem.
President Trump weighed-in on the controversy, saying fans should boycott the league until officials ban player protests during the playing of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’