Nike throws weight behind Colin Kaepernick in latest ad campaign

THE most controversial face in the NFL has been endorsed by the biggest name in sportswear in a move making noise in the US.

THE official apparel company of the NFL is launching an ad campaign around a player who’s alleging the league is colluding to keep him out.

Colin Kaepernick is the face of a Nike advertising effort commemorating the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” motto, the New York Post reports.

“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt,” Kaepernick tweeted Monday — on the country’s Labor Day — with the words superimposed on an image of his face. The signature Nike “swoosh” accompanies the image.

Kaepernick was a quarterback for the 49ers for six years and sparked a national debate when he knelt during the national anthem during the 2016 NFL season to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

'Colin Kaepernick just broke the internet.'

The protests during the national anthem have raised the ire of some NFL fans and President Trump, who has said they disrespect the American flag and the military.

After he opted out of his deal following the 2016 season, Kaepernick has remained curiously unemployed. He has filed a grievance against the league in a case that is moving forward.

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” Gino Fisanotti, Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, said.

Colin Kaepernick broke the internet

— Ricky Smith (@Rickonia) September 3, 2018

Colin Kaepernick and Steve Bannon trending like it's 2016 all over again.

— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) September 3, 2018

Nike trolling both the NFL and Trump is my favourite trolling this year. @Kaepernick7 #JustDoIt you bet.

— Marcella Munro 🇨🇦 (@marcellam) September 3, 2018

Nike has partnered with Colin Kaepernick! He will be the face of their "Just Do It" campaign for the company's 30th Anniversary!@Nike and @Kaepernick7 are not allowing a demented old man to bully them. Que Donald Trump's attacks against another American institution in 3..2..1..

— James Kosur (@JamesKosur) September 3, 2018

US President Donald Trump described players like Kaepernick who knelt for the anthem as “sons of bitches” who should be fired.

Trump has repeated those criticisms frequently over the past year, even suggesting at one stage that protesting players “shouldn’t be in the country”.

In June, Trump cancelled the visit of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to the White House after several players indicated they would not attend.

Earlier in the year, owners reached agreement on a policy requiring players to stand during the national anthem but giving them the option of remaining in the locker room if they preferred.

The issue of how to handle player protests of kneeling during the pre-game playing of The Star-Spangled Banner has loomed over the NFL club owners meeting in Atlanta, with the sport anxious to avoid a repeat of the controversy that divided the league last season.

America’s most popular sport found itself at the centre of a political firestorm in 2017 after

The moment that kicked it all off.

Trump’s remarks prompted a wave of protests across the league in September, angering some fans and placing several conservative, Trump-supporting team owners in an awkward position.

With the NFL’s leadership reluctant to issue a blanket decree ordering players to stand for the anthem, the deal approved Wednesday represents a compromise.

Under current NFL regulations, all players are required to be on the field during the anthem. The new policy removes that requirement, allowing players who do not wish to stand to remain in the locker room.

Players who do come onto the field for the anthems would be required to stand or teams would be fined.

“This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

“Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed.”

— with the New York Post

To receive articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our sports newsletter here.