Sponsor In Off-Ice Battle At San Jose Shark Tank
SAN JOSE (KCBS)— A battle could be brewing at San Jose's Shark Tank Saturday night and it has nothing to do with hockey. The co-owner of Bad Boys Bail Bonds claims the arena is retaliating against his company after they dropped their sponsorship with the Sharks.
Jeffery Stanley with the bail bond company has been a Sharks season ticket holder for 10 years with four seats right behind the bench. He said he and his family and friends wear company t-shirts to the games and that it was usually a non-issue.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
Recently Stanley told the Sharks marketing representative that he wouldn't be paying the $70,000 a season for sponsorship banners on the home team's bench and in the visitor's penalty box.
Since Stanley's notification, the Sharks have implemented a ban on company logo t-shirts involving Bad Boys Bail Bonds.
"They actually sent me [a week after that] a letter from their attorney saying you can no longer wear your shirts and if you do, we're going to revoke your season tickets and not refund them," Stanley said.
A Sharks spokesman confirmed the team sent Bad Boys Bail Bonds a letter about this new policy and said its a matter of the team protecting its image.
However, Stanley said it's a direct retaliation over him dropping the sponsorship and that it's also a constitutional issue that he's willing to fight.
"We see a lot of other companies out there with their shirts and we were the only ones targeted," he said.
Stanley said he and his family will be wearing the shirts at Saturday night's game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
The spokesman for the Sharks did not comment on whether or not the new policy would be enforced.
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