We'll have a photo gallery up at some point, shots of Amari doing the ribbon cutting and so forth. He literally did kind of a cut-and-run, and was not made available to the press, but here it is for those who might be interested:
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Writer
Justin Mucha and three friends arrived at 6 a.m. on Thursday to be first in line for the Nike Factory Store opening at Midtown Village.
The 16-year-old Northridge High School student was there for Nike gear, not for an appearance by former University of Alabama star Amari Cooper, who was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Amari's going to be here?" he said. "I didn't know that."
Clad in orange-and-green Nike shoes, neon yellow-green shorts and socks and a black Nike T-shirt, Mucha was there, instead, for the deals.
"There's good deals and (discount) cards," Mucha said. "We were just excited. I like Nike."
There were more than 250 people lined up by 9:30 a.m., and the number may have topped 300 when Cooper, the 2014 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver and the third-place finisher in Heisman Trophy balloting last season, arrived 15 minutes later.
Cooper didn't sign autographs or mix with fans. He stepped around the corner for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and was gone soon after.
"I heard Amari Cooper was going to be here and I might get a chance to meet him," said Daniel Nixon, a track athlete at Spain Park High in Birmingham. "I am here because I heard about the Nike T-Town opening on the news. There isn't a Nike store in Birmingham. I can get some running gear that you can't usually get."
The line of fans showed the widespread appeal of the Nike brand. Tall and short, young and old, male and female, black, white, Asian and Hispanic all showed up. The word "Nike" can't be found on the storefront, just the trademark swoosh symbol.
"I think it really shows that sports transcends everything," said Zoe Kristlock, vice president and general manager of Nike Factory Stores. "People who follow sports and participate in athletics come in all shapes and sizes."
The first group of patrons got free in-ear headphones as they walked through the doors to the sounds of "Sweet Home Alabama." Four UA cheerleaders and mascot Big Al were on hand.
Jonathan Aluiso, a 21-year-old Alabama senior majoring in pre-med from Freeport, Texas, made the first purchase: a pair of crimson Alabama shirts.
"The university is a big Nike school," Aluiso said. "I just wanted to be here."
The Tuscaloosa store is one of 900 Nike Factory Stores worldwide. Krislock has attended more than 100 store openings.
"This is not common," she said of the elbow-to-elbow crowd milling through racks of shoes and athletic apparel. "This is one of the fullest stores I've seen."
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Writer
Justin Mucha and three friends arrived at 6 a.m. on Thursday to be first in line for the Nike Factory Store opening at Midtown Village.
The 16-year-old Northridge High School student was there for Nike gear, not for an appearance by former University of Alabama star Amari Cooper, who was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Amari's going to be here?" he said. "I didn't know that."
Clad in orange-and-green Nike shoes, neon yellow-green shorts and socks and a black Nike T-shirt, Mucha was there, instead, for the deals.
"There's good deals and (discount) cards," Mucha said. "We were just excited. I like Nike."
There were more than 250 people lined up by 9:30 a.m., and the number may have topped 300 when Cooper, the 2014 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver and the third-place finisher in Heisman Trophy balloting last season, arrived 15 minutes later.
Cooper didn't sign autographs or mix with fans. He stepped around the corner for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and was gone soon after.
"I heard Amari Cooper was going to be here and I might get a chance to meet him," said Daniel Nixon, a track athlete at Spain Park High in Birmingham. "I am here because I heard about the Nike T-Town opening on the news. There isn't a Nike store in Birmingham. I can get some running gear that you can't usually get."
The line of fans showed the widespread appeal of the Nike brand. Tall and short, young and old, male and female, black, white, Asian and Hispanic all showed up. The word "Nike" can't be found on the storefront, just the trademark swoosh symbol.
"I think it really shows that sports transcends everything," said Zoe Kristlock, vice president and general manager of Nike Factory Stores. "People who follow sports and participate in athletics come in all shapes and sizes."
The first group of patrons got free in-ear headphones as they walked through the doors to the sounds of "Sweet Home Alabama." Four UA cheerleaders and mascot Big Al were on hand.
Jonathan Aluiso, a 21-year-old Alabama senior majoring in pre-med from Freeport, Texas, made the first purchase: a pair of crimson Alabama shirts.
"The university is a big Nike school," Aluiso said. "I just wanted to be here."
The Tuscaloosa store is one of 900 Nike Factory Stores worldwide. Krislock has attended more than 100 store openings.
"This is not common," she said of the elbow-to-elbow crowd milling through racks of shoes and athletic apparel. "This is one of the fullest stores I've seen."
