Nike ad has protesters all fired up
How do you like your sports socks; lightly toasted or well done? Would you prefer your trainers tenderised before they hit the grill plate? Pass me the tin foil tray, these running tops can be tricky to get just right.
Welcome to the hottest form of sports protesting. Please pass the matches.
Once again pesky politics has poked its nose into sport’s business. Just when the house looks in order, politics comes in and puts its sticky fingers all over the nice clean surfaces.
Holidays, work, commerce, plane trips to small islands, even babies all involve politics. But not sport. In its purest form sport is very fit people beating each other for our enjoyment and we must keep it that way. Could you hand me that gasoline?
No wonder America decided to fight advertising with fire when Nike put out that inflammatory #justdoit campaign this week. Colin Kaepernick, he of the ‘I’m protesting against racism by kneeling during the anthem ‘ fame, is in the 30th anniversary ad campaign saying ‘Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.’ Middle America saw that big red flag and came running quicker than Donald Trump heading to the first tee.
For the past couple of years, Kaepernick has been about as welcome in the NFL as a screaming toddler on a longhaul flight. So what better way to make a point, a stand than by playing his ad at the beginning of the regular NFL season.
The anti-Colin brigade was angrier than a man trying to buy five beers at Eden Park.
Some of you might call this campaign a social statement but middle America wasn’t born yesterday, people. They know it’s political because President Trump is involved and he agrees that sport should not be sullied like this with people thinking and doing whatever they like.
If Kaepernick had just shown respect to the anthem/flag/country, people would not have to set fire to their wardrobe.
Critics of the 30-year-old had no choice but to head to the BBQ area.
Little Nu Zeeeland may think that this is also a political or social statement when it’s just people setting fire to things when they’re angry about stuff. Obviously athletes are not allowed to do this because they must just stick to playing sport.
It’s OK to have an opinion about things like running fast and jumping high but don’t start talking about race, colour or culture when it comes to the make-up of that team because that also has little to do with sport.
Talking about religion is fine as long as it’s to do with praising the lord and the beliefs are good, straight Christian ones.
Nike is playing the long game here. The numbers would have been crunched and the mood tested to see if America would or could support a new hero for social change.
Once again the savvy sporting giant has transcended the field and shone the light on something bigger.
They did it with Tiger and they’re still doing it with Serena. Now it’s Kaepernick’s turn to go global.
Wake up NFL. You and your firestarting fans might want to start sifting through the ashes of those products made by one of your top partners and come up with a new plan. Kaepernick is not going away so it might be time to listen.
As my parents always told me, don’t play with matches.