A Message from the CEO of Sports Authority

I got this email today:



May 25, 2016
Dear Customers,
Sports Authority and its predecessor companies have been serving the sporting goods needs of our customers since 1919. It is with great sadness that we are intending to close all of our stores by the end of August.
We will be holding store closing sales at all of our locations that will allow you to take advantage of big discounts on great brands.
On behalf of the entire Sports Authority team, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to our customers for their years of loyalty. It has been a pleasure to serve you and your family.


All Sports Authority locations are having clearance sales up to 30% starting today.

Oakland A's Cap

I bought this Oakland A's Team Classic 39THIRTY Cap today at Ross. It was $10 and it normally retails for $30. It will go great with the jersey I bought awhile back.

Sports Authority Update

I got this email a couple days ago:



Thank you for being a loyal League Member for so many years. It is with great sadness that we announce the close of The League program on May 25, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. With this announcement we want to let you know that all your League benefits, including any outstanding rewards, will now expire on May 25 along with the termination of The League. The last day for you to take advantage of any Bike Services Plan benefits will be May 21, 2016.
Additionally, we want to make you aware of deadlines for taking advantage of our other customer programs:

• SERVICES: The last day to drop off equipment to be serviced in our stores will be May 21, 2016 at Close of Business.
• WARRANTIES:
• Extended Coverage Plans will continue to be sold in stores through May 24, 2016.
• Warranties for merchandise purchased at a Sports Authority store or on SportsAuthority.com remain in effect, and Asurion will continue covering all products purchased under our extended service plans without change or interruption. For more information, please visit www.asurion.com/ecp, or call toll-free at 1-866-882-8512.
• CREDIT CARDS: You can continue to use your Sports Authority credit card to make purchases, however we will no longer be accepting new credit card applications after May 24, 2016.
• EXCHANGES/RETURNS: You can continue to make exchanges or returns at Sports Authority stores through June 25, 2016.
• GIFT CARDS: We will continue to sell Sports Authority Gift Cards through May 24, 2016. Gift cards will be honored through June 28, 2016.

Thank you again for being such a great Member of The League. We’ve truly appreciated your loyalty and support.

Sports Authority...New York Jets...Florida Panthers

All Sports Authority stores will be liquidated. The "sales" will start on May 25. The Consumerist has more info on it.

I went to Ross yesterday because I like their hat selection and found this:

It's a New York Jets New Era On Field Cap. I paid $8 for a cap that retails for $35. It will go great with my Tim Tebow jersey.

According to a poster on Reddit, the Florida Panthers will be having a massive sale on team merchandise starting Saturday. Details can be found here.

Anaheim Ducks Team Store Sale

The Anaheim Ducks had their Team Store sale on Saturday. They have this annually after the season ends. This was the second one I've ever been to.

Mother's Day - Anaheim Ducks Sale

I don't have much to write about. I missed the Angels' Sale during Fiesta Angels. They had it on the Saturday before Mother's Day again. I guess this will be the tradition going forward.

If you go to auctions.mlb.com, you can buy the gear that the players were wearing for Mother's Day. So far only the Orioles have their Mother's Day jerseys on there.

The Anaheim Ducks will be having their sale on Saturday. Information is here. 

Statement from the CEO of Sports Authority

I got this in my email today and I thought I would share it.



Dear Sports Authority Customers,
We appreciate your support and patronage and want you to know that you can continue to shop at Sports Authority stores and online at SportsAuthority.com.
As we communicated in early March when we entered Chapter 11, we are closing or selling approximately 140 of our 450 stores. We continue to move forward with this process, which we expect will be completed by the end of June. During this time, you can take advantage of our ongoing sales at those stores, with big discounts on great brands and merchandise!
The majority of our stores remain open on normal schedules and you can continue to shop on SportsAuthority.com as you always have. For an up-to-date list of operating Sports Authority stores and to find the nearest location, please visit our Store Locator at SportsAuthority.com.
We remain fully committed to delivering value and great merchandise wherever you shop at Sports Authority, and we look forward to continue serving you.
Sincerely,

Michael Foss
Chief Executive Officer


We'll see what happens next.

The Future of Sports Authority

Many media outlets are reporting that Sports Authority will be liquidating their stores. Sports Authority came out with a statement today saying they were looking for a buyer. I don't know who would buy them but if this is the case, many of their stores will probably close.

I had a gift card to their store and I wanted to use it before they liquidated.

When I went last week, it was void of customers. There was one cashier and a few staff members stocking items.

I bought this branded baseball for less than three dollars. Maybe it will be worth something one day. It's sad how Circuit City, CompUSA, Borders, and many other retailers have gone out of business in recent years. Hopefully the people working at Sports Authority will land on their feet.

If you have any gift cards from them, use them before they liquidate or are sold. Liquidators don't take gift cards. Also, wait a week or two into any liquidation sale when there are actual discounts.