Nike.  Believe in profits.  Even if it means sacrificing your soul.

 

A few weeks back, Nike decided to put the face of the NFL National Anthem protests on their new marketing campaign.  It was a picture of the hapless and less than talented Colin Kaepernick with the caption, “Believe in something.  Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

The timing of the ad was bad as it was a scant week before the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.  The uproar was instantaneous.  The NFL protests Kap started never has had the legs I think he hoped for.  Not nearly as many fellow (former) players joined in his protest as I think he hoped for or planned.  Sort of like the kid who invited 30 people to his birthday party and not one of them came.  They just aren’t that in to you.

The patriot sector of the country responded with a flurry of hilarious and fatally pointed memes that continues even today.  Memes of Elizabeth Warren—“Believe in something.  Even it is only .1024 percent true.”  Of Bruce/Caitlin Jenner—“Believe in something.  Even if it means cutting off your dick.”  Of Bernie Sanders—“Believe in something.  Even if it means sacrificing someone else’s everything.”  A Doberman—“Bark at everything. Even if something isn’t there.”

Then there were the serious ones.  Like Pat Tillman with the original slogan.  Of Robert Beaman with the original quote.  The serious people saw the ad as a direct affront to national pride and patriotism.  These do really did sacrifice everything for something they believed in.  No greater lover, and such.

I watched the stock.  I thought the marketing ad was a foolish thing.  Nike was going to tank.  People and investors would flee.  But I forgot that the dollar is more powerful than pride.  The stock dropped almost three dollars over the weekend.  The investors were dumping it.  But then by September 21, the stock had rebounded to higher than it was when the ad came out.  People with money sold high, not because of a sense of duty or outrage, but because they saw a money making opportunity.  The same people bought back in low.  Those people knew that the public, the cattle, have about a three day attention span.  They’ll forget.  They won’t care after the initial fervor is over.

Investors are savvy even if it means having no morals or values.  I think the whole thing might have just been market manipulation.  A means to an end.  Dollars over decency.  Profits over patriotism.

Idolizing a mediocre player who defames and disrespects the national anthem proves it.

Kap was not that great a quarterback.  He never had a QB rating in the 100s. His best year, he had, what, 5 wins?  After two flailing seasons, I think he saw the writing on the wall and decided he needed another venue to remain relevant.  Pissing off half the country is a good way to do that.

Whatever you think about his police injustice topic, be it true or not, disrespecting the flag is not the way to fix it.  The guy has millions of fans, however misguided they are.  He has a large following on Face Book of 1.2 million.  His Twitter account has over 2 million followers.  (Though how many are fake/robots is unknown.)  If he called for a press conference they would come.  He has exclusive media and social media attention.

This is the place to draw attention to your cause.  After kneeling during the anthem, what did he do?  Nothing.  No marches, no donations, no civil disobedience.  No fund raisers, no pressers.

Makes you wonder how important his cause is to him, no?