I would like to begin this article with a quote from Thomas Sowell: “Capitalism knows only one color: that color is green; all else is necessarily subservient to it, hence, race, gender and ethnicity cannot be considered within it.” While to some this may seem to be inherently racist, it is important to realize the man who said it. Sowell is an American economist who was born in 1930, one amongst a family supported by a factory-working father. He was drafted by the Marine Corp and, after leaving the service, used his GI Bill to attend night courses. He eventually transferred to Harvard to receive his bachelor’s degree and then continued his education at Columbia University. Interestingly enough, he started off being pro-Marxist and, as he continued his education, became a staunch capitalist. He is outspoken in his criticism of virtually all social welfare programs, especially those such as affirmative action, welfare, and minimum wage. One final note: he is also black and believes that the freedom that capitalism provides offers the best opportunities for the poor to rise up through hard work and perseverance. It is through this same vein that I view capitalism. It is truly the great equalizer; there are no decided winners or losers. The game is played based off of who can provide the public at large with a product for which they are willing to pay. Sometimes that price is based primarily off of reputation, which increases its perceived value. I believe that this is the case with the Nike brand. Names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Maria Sharapova, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and others have turned the company into more than simply apparel. Instead, it has become a cultural icon.
Nike’s motto has always been to “Do it,” in some form or another. Being true to their own motto, they just did it alright. While it is apparently very en vogue these days for companies to become politically active, I am surprised that Nike decided to make Colin Kaepernick their go-to guy for their 30th anniversary. The current ad they are running has a picture of Kaepernick with the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
First, that marketing ploy seems to fall flat factually. Fox Sports makes a pretty good case for how little he actually sacrificed while on the 49ers roster. “Kaepernick burned the 49ers last season after he injured his shoulder in the early part of the year and played through the injury until he was benched for poor play. Kaepernick didn’t exactly engage in a rehabilitation plan that would get him back on the field immediately and he waited to have surgery on his shoulder, knowing that if he made it to April 1 and he wasn’t fully healthy, the 49ers would have to pick up the full $11.9 million he was owed in 2016. Kaepernick had the NFLPA ready to pounce if push came to shove…Kaepernick missed the first two games of the preseason recovering from that surgery, too, and by the time he played (poorly), the anthem controversy was full bore…But if the 49ers put Kaepernick on the field for any reason this season, they risk him getting injured and remaining that way until April 1, when he’d be guaranteed $14.5 million for 2017.” While I am not implying that his actions did not make him a risk to any team, I don’t see the NFL outing all the other current protestors currently kneeling. No, I believe that Kaepernick was on his way out and knew it. What he did, and did so in an amazing fashion, was turn his controversy into a pay day.
Here is where I very clearly break from many pseudo capitalists who are currently screaming about the satanic actions of Nike. It does not bother me that they hired him, at least not in the same way that it appears to offend many. I find many of those currently up in arms to be exceptionally hypocritical. These same individuals who were so vehemently against government intrusion in the case of the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for the gay couple now scream about the injustice of Nike? I feel that if you hold something to be a value then it should be applied equally to all situations, not simply those that you agree with politically.
Nike is free to chose who it wants as the standard bearer for their company’s ethics. Equally, people are free to decide whether they will want to support such a company by purchasing their products. What I do not like seeing are those who over-dramatize what Nike has done. At the end of the day I believe that doing so actually promotes Kaepernick’s view.
I am very interested to see where all of this eventually leads. The National Football League (NFL), through an incredible lack of leadership, allowed this controversy to fester like a putrid seeping wound. Their decision to not make a decision has financially hurt the entire brand. The NFL seemed to forget who the crux of their viewership was: middle-value Americans. As such, in an attempt to pacify their employees and advertisers, they took a stance that turned the bulk of their viewers against them. This will likely haunt them for some time to come.
Nike, however, has a different audience to which it markets. According to a 2015 article by Business Insider, Nike was planning on expanding its market in three key demographics: women, runners, and youth. In regard to the youth, the article stated, “Nike gets young athletes to wear its products through sponsorships with local leagues, clubs, and federations. It also sees partnerships with professional athletes as an important way to draw in young customers. All NFL teams currently wear Nike gear. The brand also has partnerships with scores of famous athletes, including basketball star Kobe Bryant and tennis champion Roger Federer.” They can now add Kaepernick to that list. This may be a very shrewd move on the part of Nike. Beyond any other, the youth populace is much more likely to support Nike’s decision. Even so, it is their parents who are the bread winners and will determine how much of their money goes to support the company.
Bottom line is there is no reason to have such a violent (even if it is just rhetoric) reaction to Nike’s decision. There are so much more pertinent and pressing issues that should draw our direct ire. I personally will no longer purchase any item with the Nike logo on it. I will let my dollars express my discontent. My wife feels the exact same way as I do. If there are enough of us out there, then Nike will feel the pinch and come to regret its decision.
However, I would like to end with this one statement of discontent. I find it sad that we live in an area where we elevate our athletes to such an exalted status. Especially when we use the word sacrifice relating to a player who was already on the eve of his career while still making well over $10 million annually. Forgive me if I find this disrespectful to those who actually sacrifice. In fact, I saw an incredible meme (which I used for the feature photo of this article) which articulates the true meaning of sacrifice. Pat Tillman was picked up by the Cardinals in 1998. After the September 11th attack, Pat turned down a $3.6 million contract to enlist in the U.S. Army alongside his brother. Before shipping off to basic training, he told NBC in an interview, “My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has…gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.” He subsequently died in combat. Now, I am not trying to say that you have to die for your country in order to take a stand for a cause. I just think it might behoove Nike, and all Americans, to look at where they place their hero worship.
