‘What was Nike thinking?’: Trump reacts to Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick
‘What was Nike thinking?’: Trump reacts to Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick nfl, colin kaepernick, kaepernick nike, kaepernick ad, kaepernick nbc, kaepernick nfl, nike ad, football, nfl anthem, anthem protests, kaepernick trump, philadelphia eagles, atlanta falcons / @dongonews9123 By Des Bieler and Matt Bonesteel September 7 A Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick aired during the third quarter of Thursday’s NFL season opener, a game between the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons that was televised nationally on NBC. Early Friday morning, President Trump delivered what appeared to be a four-word review of the commercial on Twitter. What was Nike thinking?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2018 Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has been a polarizing figure since becoming the first NFL player to stage protests of racial injustice during pregame renditions of the national anthem. Trump, meanwhile, has seized upon the issue of protesting NFL players on social media and during rallies in front of his supporters. [Before NFL opener, Eagles’ Michael Bennett sits on bench near end of national anthem] The 90-second ad showed a variety of athletes, including the Lakers’ LeBron James and tennis star Serena Williams, and it ended with the slogan: “It’s only crazy until you do it. Just do it.” Kaepernick, who provided the voice-over for the ad and appeared toward the end of it, has been out of the NFL since becoming a free agent in March 2017, and he has filed a grievance against the NFL that accuses team owners of colluding to ostracize him because of his activism and his central connection to the protests that some players have continued. Nike, meanwhile, is the official and exclusive provider of NFL apparel, and its deal with the league is set to run until 2028. Following the revelation Monday that Kaepernick, who reportedly has been under contract with Nike since 2011, would be involved in an ad campaign, the NFL said in a statement that it “believes in dialogue, understanding and unity” and embraces “the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities.” Trump said Tuesday that Nike’s use of Kaepernick sends “a terrible message.” On Wednesday, the president noted the NFL’s drop in TV ratings in claiming on Twitter that “Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,” and he said that he would find the league’s games “hard to watch” until all players stood for the flag. Montana crowd rained down boos when Fox host Pete Segseth mentioned the NFL. Trump said he would "win" the culture war and that he honestly "doesn't know what the NFL is doing."— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) September 7, 2018 Hegseth interviewed Trump at the rally and brought up the anthem controversy. The interview aired Friday morning: Hegseth: Mr. President tonight is the first NFL game. They don’t have as many viewers as they used to. From Colin Kaepernick, to the NFL, to now Nike – who’s going to win this cultural showdown of standing for the anthem? Trump: We are. We are going to win. I don’t know what the NFL is doing. Honestly, I don’t know what the NFL is doing. From what I understand it’s in contrac
