Colin Kaepernick has made headlines over a thousand times in the past two years for his infamous kneeling debate. For those who don’t remember, he began kneeling during the US National Anthem during his NFL games to protest what he has deemed as wrongdoings against African-Americans and minorities in the US.
And now, he’s been named as the face of Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign.
Since Nike made and publicly announced this decision, people across America have sparked discussions about why the brand would choose him, support for his beliefs, backlash for what they consider to be a poor decision, and everything in between. But, I feel that it’s time I get realistic about this decision, because everyone is afraid to speak their opinion.
Do I think Colin Kaepernick is heroic enough or talented enough to be included as the face of Nike on its anniversary year?
Absolutely not. Now, let me tell you why…
The truth is, Kaepernick was never a great quarterback or NFL player. Until he began his protest, he was a no-name athlete who every team knew how to stop on the field. The San Francisco 49ers benched him; then he started kneeling. He kneeled shortly after his team dropped him, and no other team would pick him up. Teams saw him as a political nightmare for morale and publicity.
Kaepernick willingly immersed himself in controversy, knowing that many people would not share his views.
He caused a disruptive debate that ultimately tore the NFL apart instead of bringing inclusion like he had wanted. Was it rebellious? Absolutely, but it also offended many people who felt that there were a list of other ways he could have protested that still could have been as equally effective as kneeling.
The brutal truth is that his team was going to let him go before his protest even started.
His protest ultimately lead his team abruptly dismissing him, but it was bound to happen eventually.
I wouldn’t deem his team dismissing him as a sacrifice because they were initially going to let him go for his poor athletic performance. And, that’s what most people fail to see unless they legitimately follow sports. Most of the general public is seeing these ads as heroic, but in actuality, it’s Nike trying to get people talking about them and altering a story to gain the public’s interest.
Does it surprise me that Nike chose Kaepernick for this ad?
Not in the slightest, because he made massive waves in the news at the height of his protest and in the controversial discussions that followed. But as I predicted, people are giving Nike more backlash for their decision than they are providing positive feedback.
Just three days after Nike released the ad, their favorability took a massive hit. According to a study the Morning Consult conducted, as well as interviews with thousands of people, the popular apparel brand had a net favorability rating of +69 prior to the Kaepernick ad. It’s now sitting at +35. The brand’s popularity also dropped eight points with African-Americans. (It went from +82 to +74). That, right there, says it all.
If you put the most polarizing athlete in America in an ad campaign, you need to expect tremendous negative backlash. And Kaepernick still slightly seems to be play the victim.
If Kaepernick was as great as an athlete in football like these Nike ads are making him out to be, another team would have already picked him up, or he would have been a bigger name before his protest.
Like I mentioned earlier, I do think Kaepernick brought an important conversation to the table, and his method certainly impacted the world. I also think that what he did was a little extreme, but he expressed his message well.
I just don’t think Nike should have honored him when many other athletes deserve the honor more.
Featured image via Kate on Flickr
