Athletic shoe company bows to Colin Kaepernick
By Jeffrey T. Kuhner
Nike has just revealed its unpatriotic colors. And the athletic shoe company may have finally jumped the shark.
Nike was scheduled to release its Air Max 1 USA for the July 4th holiday, an America-themed sneaker with the Betsy Ross flag featured on the heels of the shoe. It is the flag with thirteen white stars arranged in a circle, representing the original 13 colonies that seceded from the British Empire. It was America’s original flag—the very one George Washington and his Patriots fought under during our War for Independence.
Yet, just before it was to be released on the market, a senior Nike official contacted former quarterback-turned-social activist Colin Kaepernick. His verdict: the Betsy Ross flag is “offensive” to both him and his friends. In particular, Kaepernick claims the original flag is a symbol of racism and oppression. This is because, according to him, several of the original 13 colonies, especially in the South, had the institution of slavery. He told Nike that it should have nothing to do with a symbol linked to a racist era.
The result is that Nike decided to yank the sneaker off the market. In other words, the company caved to social justice warrior activism.
This should come as no surprise. It was Nike that got into bed with Kaepernick last year, pushing a disgusting black-and-white ad campaign, which featured Kaepernick saying: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” In short, Nike was publicly endorsing Kaepernick’s 2016 decision to have knelt during the national anthem before every NFL game.
Nike and the liberal media are desperately trying to turn Kaepernick into a contemporary version of Muhammad Ali—a supposed major sports figure punished for his principled political beliefs. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Prior to his kneeling, Kaepernick was a washed-up, back-up quarterback. He was a benchwarmer, who was paid $1 million a game (so much for being the victim of “racism”).
In fact, becoming a Black Lives Matter protestor was the best thing for his professional career. He sued the NFL for alleged collusion because no team (rightly) wanted to hire him after the 2016 season. He received a lucrative multi-million dollar compensation package. Kaepernick then got tens of millions of dollars from Nike for last year’s ad campaign. Apparently, being a social justice warrior pays well—especially, for a vile race-baiter like him. Rather than “sacrificing everything,” he has become obscenely wealthy playing the race card. Kaepernick is no hero, but a charlatan and a fraud.
Which begs the question: Who runs Nike, its CEO or Kaepernick? It now appears this radical leftist race-hustler is calling the plays. Don’t get me wrong. I am a free-market conservative. If Nike, as a private company, wants to cancel a product line, it is entitled to do so. Yet, as a consumer, I am also entitled to buy my sneakers from someone else.
When asked why they pulled the Betsy Ross shoe, Nike said in an official statement because “it featured the old version of the American flag.” To which the answer is: so what? No version of the American flag represents oppression and racism. Instead, it stands for the greatest constitutional republic in history—no nation (none) has come close to achieving America’s success in self-government and individual freedom.
Kaepernick claimed that his kneeling had nothing to do with protesting the flag, but police brutality. He has been shown to be a liar. His protests were always about the flag and the nation that has been so good to him. He is a typical spoiled, ignorant, millennial ingrate.
Nike is finally paying a price for its shameless anti-Americanism. Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Doucey has decided to rescind over $1 million in financial incentives for Nike to build a manufacturing plant in the state. As Doucey put it, Nike has made its decision and he is making his. It may cost Arizona 500 jobs, but there are things more important than money—such as national honor and patriotic self-respect.
Nike is American in name only. It despises our traditions, heritage and flag. It is a globalist company, whose major market is China. For over 30 years, it has outsourced production to Third World sweatshops, exploiting cheap labor to create outrageously over-priced and garbage quality $300 sneakers. For Nike to be lecturing America about slavery is not only grossly hypocritical. It is morally obscene.
It’s time woke companies, such as Nike, be taught a lesson. If they want to betray or insult America, it must come at a high price. Don’t buy any products from Nike. New Balance and Adidas make better shoes anyway.
-Jeffrey T. Kuhner is host of “The Kuhner Report” on WRKO AM-680 in Boston. His daily show airs 6:00-10:00 am EST. He can be reached at: jeffreykuhner@iheartmedia.com