STURBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - A billboard for a Sturbridge jewelry store that depicts a young man proposing to his girlfriend on a football field, along with the slogan, “If you’re going take a knee this season, please have a ring in your hand,” has earned the owner of the business some criticism.
When Scott Garieri, owner of Garieri Jewelers in Sturbridge, put up the billboard on Route 20 in Charlton last week, he says he initially got lots of positive feedback, but then, the negative emails started coming in.
He said he even received a death threat to Garieri’s daughter, who works for the family business.
“It said, ‘Alexandra O’Brien, kill yourself,'” Alexandra said. “I feel sorry for them because there are a lot of issues going on in this world. And it’s a billboard. It’s a piece of paper. If you don’t like it, don’t look at it.”
Garieri says the negative reaction started when a woman posted a picture of the billboard on social media, suggesting it was racist.
Garieri admits he doesn’t support the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, and he doesn’t think much of the player who started it all, Colin Kaepernick.
“I don’t agree with his movement,” Garieri said. “I don’t agree with the way he’s doing it.”
But despite the threats, Garieri says he’s not backing down.
“The billboard stays,” he said. “If it offends anyone, I’m sorry.”
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)