Those of us in Indonesia, of course, remember the problems Nike had throughout the 1980s and 1990s with the conditions of its factories here.
t was an in-your-face move as Nike unveiled Colin Kaepernick as its new face for the 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. The shock announcement created a storm of comments on social media and drew attention worldwide.
A five-year veteran quarterback who last played for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, Kaerpernick first came to the attention of a wider audience when he began his protests during the playing of the national anthem in the 2016 preseason. Initially sitting, and later taking a knee, he explained that he could not “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color”.
It was an action that polarized a nation and while a number of athletes, including in other sports, adopted similar protests, feelings about Kaepernick were split along racial lines. It was thus no great surprise that Kaerpernick opted out of his restructured contract with the 49ers the following March to become a free agent. However, no other team offered him a contract, which forms the basis of his soon-to-be-heard suit against the NFL accusing the team owners of collusion.
Kaepernick’s story and ordeal fits the caption on the black and white close-up of his face shown on Nike’s new campaign poster, which says “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything”. These words even tie in with his strong religious beliefs.
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