Nike officially announced Colin Kaepernick as the face of their new “Just Do It” campaign, on Monday afternoon.
Nike tweeted:
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
The theme of sacrifice, was quickly seized upon by several on Twitter. Though, probably not in the way Nike had intended:
Believe in something.
Even if it means sacrificing everything. pic.twitter.com/xWtWZQLYil— Doug Collins (@Douglas_Collins) September 3, 2018
Collins’ tweet, depicting former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman who was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2004, was widely used by people on social media to show what an athlete making a real sacrifice looks like.
Others pointed out Nike’s hypocrisy in supporting Kaepernick’s protests while selling shoes allegedly produced in factories that may have questionable labor practices:
Lmao go to a Nike factory and tell me they care about human rights https://t.co/YAT0L11yHa
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) September 3, 2018
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/GUIQG7w9Fk
— Cuffy (@CuffyMeh) September 3, 2018
Fox News’ Janice Dean asked why Nike wouldn’t use someone who has made people’s lives better without controversy, as the face of their campaign:
If I worked for @Nike I would’ve made @JJWatt the face of their campaign. His foundation raised over 41 million for #hurricaneharvey relief. No controversy. Just a good human being.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) September 3, 2018
Still, most seized on the hypocrisy of Kaepernick extolling the virtues of sacrifice, while cashing big checks from Nike:
Hope he endorses the back of that Nike check with "Sacrificing Everything". #JustDoIt #Sacrifice #Everything #shart https://t.co/DhhJvfx4Dj
— Cuffy (@CuffyMeh) September 3, 2018
Congrats to Colin Kaepernick for becoming the face of Nike's new line of knee pads.
— yokotaster (@neontaster) September 3, 2018
Outkick the Coverage’s Clay Travis wasted no time blasting the Nike campaign:
This is the dumbest move @nike has ever made in the history of its brand. pic.twitter.com/KshvmdGajT
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 3, 2018
This is also why having people with different opinions in your board room matters more than having people who look different, but all think the same. This will be a PR disaster for Nike. Insanely dumb.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 3, 2018
Frequent Kaepernick commenter Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports 1, says he sees the Nike ad campaign as a fulfillment of how he predicted the former 49er’s social justice protest would end:
Told y'all from Day One this has always been about the money. All of it. Revolutionaries aren't sponsored by major corporations. It's been a hustle from the giddy-up.
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) September 3, 2018
This pretty much sums it up:
Nike embracing a guy who thinks cops are pigs and love a Communist mass murderer is a very interesting marketing campaign for an athletic sportswear company. #JustDoIt
— EducatédHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 3, 2018
Kaepernick is still not on an NFL roster and his collusion grievance against the NFL is soon to move to the trial phase.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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