Nike will air its first "Just Do It" ad narrated by Colin Kaepernick during the NFL season opener Thursday night, the company confirmed. 
 
 The spot is part of Nike's "Dream Crazy" marketing campaign, which rolled out on the company's social feeds on Wednesday and which will air this week during the U.S. Open tennis tournament, as well as during Major League Baseball and college football games. It also will run online across various music, gaming and entertainment platforms, Nike said. 
 
 IT'S OUT: @Nike just released the full Colin Kaepernick ad and the internet is buzzing over it https://t.co/g3KhxMaTcL pic.twitter.com/5cQb9u8Tq3 — CBS News (@CBSNews) September 5, 2018 
 
 President Trump on Wednesday criticized Nike, blasting the sports giant and the NFL in a tweet. "Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts," he said on Twitter. 
 
 The company's stock price has dipped since some customers burned and defaced their Nike shoes in protest over the Kaepernick ad, but overall the shares are up nearly 28 percent this year. 
 
 The two-minute spot released Wednesday highlights superstar athletes LeBron James, Serena Williams and others, and touches on the controversy of NFL players protesting racial inequality, police brutality and other issues by demonstrating during the national anthem. 
 
 Kaepernick narrates the full spot but first physically appears midway through. As a camera pans to reveal Kaepernick's face, a reflection of a United States flag is reflected on the facade of a building behind him. 
 
 Kaepernick says: "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything." 
 
 The former 49ers quarterback is revealed as the narrator toward the end of the spot. 
 
 The spot's universal theme is about athletes pushing for bigger dreams. It features young athletes who compete amid various challenges, touching on issues of gender, disabilities and weight loss, among others. ||||| Broadway actress and “Black-ish” star Jenifer Lewis wore a custom Nike sweater with the brand’s emblem on the Emmys red carpet in support of Colin Kaepernick. 
 
 “I am wearing Nike to applaud them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against racial injustice and police brutality,” she told Variety on the carpet. 
 
 She explained that she was wondering, “What can I do? What can I do that’s meaningful? I’ll wear Nike. I’ll wear Nike to say thank you. Thank you for leading the resistance! We need more corporate America to stand up also.” 
 
 Nike’s new iteration of its “Just do it” ad campaign features the NFL free agent with the caption: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” 
 
 Kaepernick, who played quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, knelt during the National Anthem before NFL games in 2016 to protest police brutality toward African-Americans. He is currently involved in a legal battle with the NFL after filing a grievance that owners had colluded not to hire him after he became a free agent. 
 
 His actions ignited national controversy, with staunch critics and supporters on both sides. President Donald Trump has criticized the league for not keeping its players from protesting before games. 
 
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 Many people on Twitter have expressed their outrage toward the campaign by posting photos and videos of them burning their Nike items, calling the ad campaign and the company un-American for supporting Kaepernick. However, celebrities like Zendaya, Ava DuVernay, Kathy Griffin, and Chelsea Peretti have shown their support on social media, by retweeting the ad or posting hashtags like #ImWithKap, #JustDoIt, and #TeamNike. 
 
 On “Black-ish,” an episode about Kaepernick was scrapped by ABC over “creative differences.” However, the network maintained that the kneeling storyline was not the reason for the episode’s axing. 
 
 On the Emmys red carpet, Lewis sent a message directly to Kaepernick: “Thank you, Colin. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for being courageous. Thank you for taking a knee. Thank you.” ||||| A large billboard stands on top of a Nike store showing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at Union Square, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in San Francisco. An endorsement deal between... (Associated Press) 
 
 A large billboard stands on top of a Nike store showing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at Union Square, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in San Francisco. An endorsement deal between Nike and Colin Kaepernick prompted a flood of debate Tuesday as sports fans reacted to the apparel... (Associated Press) 
 
 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As Colin Kaepernick watched from the apparel giant's headquarters in Oregon, Nike aired its highly anticipated ad featuring the quarterback known for his social protests during the NFL season opener Thursday night. 
 
 The spot highlighting the former 49ers quarterback locked in a grievance with the league aired during the first ad break in the third quarter of the Eagles-Falcons game, which started with no overt demonstrations by players during the national anthem. 
 
 A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Kaepernick was watching the ad's first television airing on NBC at an event held at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the visit were not announced publicly. 
 
 Still, some attendees posted accounts of the visit on social media, including video of Kaepernick speaking to a crowd Thursday several hours before the ad aired. 
 
 "You have to think beyond what you see around you," said Kaepernick, who hasn't spoken to the media publicly since opting out of his contract with San Francisco and becoming a free agent in 2017. 
 
 "You have to see the future that you believe in and that you want not just for yourself but all the people you see globally," he said. 
 
 Kaepernick's deal with Nike for the 30th anniversary of the "Just Do It" campaign was the most polarizing issue in sports this week, prompting heated debate on several topics including athletes protesting social injustice and Nike wading into political waters. Some fans responded to Kaepernick's sponsorship deal by cutting or burning gear with Nike's signature swoosh logo. Others argued the backlash and calls for a Nike boycott showed how debate has morphed beyond how to react to athletes trying to highlight issues like racial inequality and police shootings of unarmed minorities. 
 
 "I don't like what Nike did. I don't think it's appropriate what they did," President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News before a rally in Montana. "I honor the flag. I honor our national anthem and most of the people in this country feel the same way." 
 
 There were no clear-cut protests as "The Star-Spangled Banner" played before the game with both teams on the field and the song broadcasted nationally. 
 
 Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and defensive end Michael Bennett were on the sideline and neither really demonstrated during the song. Jenkins and Bennett regularly have either knelt or stayed off the field during the anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. They have been among the most vocal protesters since Kaepernick began similar demonstrations in 2016. Jenkins stood with teammates while Bennett wandered behind them near the Eagles bench and adjusted his equipment. 
 
 Jenkins said he thinks players should shift the focus of the debate away from the anthem itself and back to the issues they are trying to highlight. 
 
 "I think there's a huge need for us to turn the attention to not only the issues, but what players are actually doing in their communities to promote change," he said. "We're trying to move past the rhetoric of what's right or what's wrong in terms of the anthem and really focus on the systematic issues that are plaguing our communities." 
 
 No Falcons players were absent from the sideline and none has protested in the recent past. 
 
 The anthem has been a particularly thorny issue for the NFL, especially Trump urging owners to bench or fire players who demonstrate. Players say their message has been misconstrued into something against the American flag or the military. 
 
 Kaepernick's grievance against the league and team owners accuses owners of colluding to keep him off any roster. An arbitrator gave Kaepernick an incremental victory by allowing the challenge to go to trial. 
 
 Jenkins said Nike's commercial is changing the portrayal of Kaepernick in the public eye. 
 
 "Quite frankly, long after all of this is done (Kaepernick) will be looked at as somebody that changed this sport and changed the dynamics of all athletes in general in our country," Jenkins said. 
 
 The league and players union still haven't resolved whether players will be punished this season if they choose to kneel or demonstrate during the anthem. Owners approved a policy requiring players to stand if they are on the sideline during the song, allowing them to stay off the field if they wish. 
 
 But the league and union put that on hold after the Miami Dolphins faced backlash for classifying the protests as conduct potentially detrimental to the team — putting players at risk of fines or suspensions. 
 
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 AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner and sports writer Ben Nuckols contributed to this report. 
 
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 More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL ||||| FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Kaepernick has... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Kaepernick has a new deal with Nike, even though the NFL does not want him. Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, made... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Kaepernick has a new deal with Nike, even though the NFL does not want him. Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, made... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Kaepernick has... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on Colin Kaepernick's Nike deal. (all times local): 
 
 5:25 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says Nike is sending a "terrible message" by making Colin Kaepernick part of a new ad campaign tied to the 30th anniversary of its "Just Do It" series. 
 
 Trump told The Daily Caller that "there's no reason for it" but he also feels Nike's ability to make its own business decisions "is what this country is all about." 
 
 Trump has been a frequent critic of protesting NFL players. He has loudly urged the league to suspend or fire players who demonstrate during the anthem. 
 
 The Republican president is also a key figure in Kaepernick's grievance case against the league. Some NFL owners have said Trump made clear to them his feelings about demonstrations during the anthem and his intention to continue to raise the issue. 
 
 Kaepernick is arguing the owners colluded to keep him off any roster. 
 
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 4:45 p.m. 
 
 An NFL executive says the social justice issues raised by Colin Kaepernick and other football players "deserve our attention and action." 
 
 Jocelyn Moore is the league's executive vice president of communications and public affairs. She said Tuesday that the NFL embraces the role of players and others in the game to promote "meaningful, positive change in our communities." 
 
 The statement is the league's first since Nike and the former 49ers quarterback announced he would be part of a new ad campaign tied to the 30th anniversary of the famed "Just Do It" series. Kaepernick tweeted an image Monday that said: "Believe in something. even if it means sacrificing everything." 
 
 Moore's statement came with a detailed breakdown of things players and league executives have done together to learn about and address social issues, including community meetings, lobbying and financially supporting local programs. 
 
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 12:45 p.m. 
 
 Country singer John Rich of Big & Rich is criticizing Nike for hiring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a new ad campaign and posted a picture of cut up Nike socks. 
 
 Rich tweeted on Monday night that a member of his crew cut the trademark swoosh off his socks and that he was also planning to burn them. Kaepernick began a wave of protests by NFL players two seasons ago, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. 
 
 In a series of tweets that continued Tuesday, Rich, who was also on "The Celebrity Apprentice," said he supported the right to protest, but that Nike lost his support when they endorsed Kaepernick. 
 
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 9:35 a.m. 
 
 Nike's stock is falling in early trading on Tuesday following an announcement that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has a new deal with the athletic clothing and footwear maker. 
 
 Kaepernick's attorney, Mark Geragos, made the announcement on Twitter, calling the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback an "All American Icon." 
 
 Kaepernick already had a deal with Nike that was set to expire, but it was renegotiated into a multiyear deal to make him one of the faces of Nike's 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign, according to a person familiar with the contract. 
 
 The NFL and Nike extended their partnership in March to run through 2028. Nike provides all NFL teams with game-day uniforms and sideline apparel that bears the swoosh logo. 
 
 Shares of Nike Inc. dropped 2 percent. 
 
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 More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
– "Don't ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they're crazy enough," says Colin Kaepernick, urging viewers to reach for and exceed their wildest dreams in Nike's first full-length ad of its new campaign featuring the former San Francisco 49er. In the "Dream Crazy" commercial, which Nike released on YouTube Wednesday, Kaepernick highlights the inspirational stories of other athletes, including Serena Williams and Shaquem Griffin, the Week reports. Kaepernick narrates the ad and appears midway through, with a US flag reflected on the building behind him, to say the line that appeared on the first image from the controversial campaign: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." The ad is set to appear during the NFL's opening telecast Thursday and Nike says the campaign will also feature during sporting events including Major League Baseball and college football as well as on assorted online platforms, CBS reports. The choice of Kaepernick, who led NFL anthem protests, has angered some fans—as well as President Trump—but the league says it supports the decision, the Hollywood Reporter notes. "We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities," NFL Executive Vice President Jocelyn Moore says. "The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action."