Blake Martinez used to catch running backs in the open field. Now he's 'Gotta Catch 'Em All.' Why the 28-year-old quit the NFL to make millions selling Pokémon cards. More:
hosted a live stream with the voice actor from his favorite anime, “Naruto,” and last summer, rapper Post Malone streamed a one-on-one match of “Magic: The Gathering,” losing $100,000 to a fan in the process.
Last July, with training camp just weeks away, he started his own company, Blake’s Breaks, and it took off immediately. Martinez has since hired nearly 20 full-time staffers, and collectively, they host 16 hours of live streams, establishing themselves as one of the biggest Pokémon channels on Whatnot. Martinez hosts two or three live streams a week himself.
Last August, Martinez received a tip about an ultrarare card that was for sale in Japan. Was he interested? He knew wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul had recently purchased a similar card — the famed Pikachu Illustrator from 1998, albeit with a perfect 10 grade — for $5 million. Martinez mulled his options, then decided it was worth the risk.
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The Pulse: Quitting the NFL to sell Pokémon cardsThis is the digital version of The Pulse. If you want it earlier, start every morning with The Pulse delivered to your inbox. Sign up here. Good morning! Sell some Pokémon cards today? Blake Martinez had just proved — again — that he could be a really good NFL linebacker. He made it all the way back, after going from Green Bay&8217;s fourth-round pick to $30 million Giants signee to Raiders practice squad guy. He was 28 and healthy. Then he quit. These days, Martinez makes gobs of money selling Pokémon cards. No typos in that sentence. Zak Keefer detailed Martinez’s strange career...
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