After kneeling during the national anthem last night, Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall has lost his sponsor Air Academy Federal Credit Union. The Colorado-based credit union serves active and retired US military members, so it’s not a surprise that they’d not be too pleased to see the man they sponsor take a stand that some have said is anti-military (even though it isn’t).
“Although we have enjoyed Brandon Marshall as our spokesperson over the past five months, Air Academy Federal Credit Union (AAFCU) has ended our partnership,” president and CEP Glenn Strebe said in a statement. “AAFCU is a membership-based organization who has proudly served the military community for over 60 years. While we respect Brandon’s right of expression, his actions are not a representation of our organization and membership. We wish Brandon well on his future endeavors.”
Players who protest during the anthem do run the risk of losing sponsorship deals, but as Colin Kaepernick and Brandon Marshall — teammates at Nevada — both showed, they’re willing to deal with the fallout from taking a noble stand.
Marshall, originally a Jaguars draft pick, signed a four-year, $32 million contract extension this offseason to stay in Denver.
[SI]
