LOUISIANA MAYOR BANS NIKE PRODUCTS FROM PARKS AND REC

» The mayor of a New KENNER, L A .

Orleans suburb banned the city’s parks and recreation department from purchasing Nike products, days after the athletic apparel maker released a controversial ad supporting former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The memo by Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn to the parks and recreation director says Nike products cannot be purchased for use at the city’s recreation facilities. It also requires the director to approve all athletic purchases by booster clubs using their facilities. The policy sparked a backlash over the weekend, with many calling for it to be rescinded.

Kaepernick ignited a firestorm in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem as a way to protest police brutality and social injustice in America. He opted out of his San Francisco 49ers contract after the end of that season and has been unable to find a job with another NFL team. He’s suing the league for collusion.

Nike last week introduced an ad featuring Kaepernick and the message: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Zahn’s memo, written last Wednesday, and a statement Monday clarifying his position didn’t mention Kaepernick specifically. But in the Monday statement Zahn said that while he applauded Nike’s message of inclusion, the company was promoting a “political message” to sell shoes. Kenner is a city of 67,000 residents in Jefferson Parish and is home to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. — The Associated Press