Small Town Grocery Store Stands Up to NFL: 'I Will Not Bow Down In Order To Make a Dollar'
A grocery store in Athens, Alabama will no longer sell Pepsi products that feature the NFL logo because the owner of the store objects to protesting during the national anthem at NFL games.
S&Z Grocery announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday morning that the store will no longer stock 20 ounce Pepsi or Diet Pepsi, which are emblazoned with the NFL logo.
The store’s owner, Phillip Stewart, wrote, “This may cause me to lose some business, but here goes. S&Z supermarket currently will not be selling 20 ounce Pepsi or Diet Pepsi. These two items are currently produced with the NFL logo on them. I refuse to sell the product until the logo is removed.”
“I will not bow down in order to the make a dollar as long as the athletes are allowed to bow down and disrespect the flag and country that I love.”
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In 2016, athlete Colin Kaepernick started the trend of players kneeling during the national anthem at games, claiming that the intention was to highlight police brutality. Many Americans, however, were offended by what they saw as disrespect to the flag.
Stewart’s post attracted attention for its patriotic statement. Stewart told WAFF 48 that despite receiving a few negative phone calls about his boycott, most customers have reacted positively over the past few days.
Numerous commenters on Facebook have cheered Stewart on for taking a stand for what he believes in, some writing that they were going to start shopping at the grocery store in support.
Stewart explained that he couldn’t in good faith keep supplying the NFL-promoting merchandise.
“I don’t want to support them in any way, because I feel like its’s just wrong,” Stewart told WAFF 48. “I can’t in good conscience sell the product because it does have the logo on it.”
“I pulled them myself, the customers didn’t know I was doing this,” he continued “I sold the product that I had that did not have the logo on it. And I told my rep as well as the delivery guy that I did not want those brought into the store, because I would not sell them.”
He added that he wasn’t against the athletes expressing their beliefs, but he didn’t approve of their method of doing so.
“The cause is just. I think there are other ways to deal with it. This has brought attention to it I’m sure there is good that comes from this, I just don’t agree with the tactic,” Stewart said.
The logos are slated to remain on some Pepsi products through the Superbowl. And as long as the logos are on the products, the products will not be on Stewart’s shelves.
“This helps me sleep at night. I can sleep knowing that I’m not supporting somebody that’s doing something I don’t believe in,” Stewart explained.
It’s refreshing to see someone stand firm in their beliefs without worrying about how it’ll affect their business. Good for Stewart for following his conscience and for sending Pepsi the message that Americans still care about patriotism.
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