Image copyright Reuters Image caption Colin Kaepernick was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers for six years

An American football star who sparked a furore by kneeling during the national anthem has been unveiled as one of the faces in a major advertising campaign.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is appearing in Nike's "Just Do It" 30th anniversary campaign.

In 2016 Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem in protest at police violence against African-Americans.

Other players followed suit but the protest has divided the country and sparked Donald Trump's anger.

The US president has called players who "disrespect" the US flag "sons of bitches" and called for them to be sacked.

Kaepernick has not played in the National Football League (NFL) since last year, and is suing the organisation, arguing team owners deliberately froze him out because of his activism.

The Nike adverts show Kaepernick with the slogan: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why America's sports stars began to take a knee

Kaepernick is one of a number of sports stars, including fellow NFL players Odell Beckham Jr and Shaquem Griffin, to appear in the 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign.

On Monday the star posted the advert and the slogan on his Twitter account.

Gino Fisanotti, Nike's vice president of branding for North America, was quoted by cable sports network ESPN as saying: "We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward."

One of the other stars of the Nike campaign, tennis great Serena Williams, expressed her support.

Some on social media though have been using the #BoycottNike and #JustBurnIt hashtags, a play on the company's slogan. Country star John Rich posted a photo of a pair of socks with the Nike emblem cut off.

Kaepernick, 30, remained on a contract with Nike throughout the kneeling row, but it has now been renegotiated to make him part of the anniversary campaign.

In May this year, the NFL announced that teams whose players who knelt for the national anthem would be fined under a new policy.

The league said players not willing to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner could stay in the changing rooms until it had been performed.

However the new policy is yet to be imposed as negotiations between the league and the players' union are ongoing.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The on-field protests began in 2016 and divided the country

​</s>He hasn’t played in the NFL for two years, but Colin Kaepernick is still grabbing headlines even off of the field.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback today unveiled a new ad with Nike for the 30th anniversary of the brand’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign, sharing the news on social media with the caption, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Kaepernick, who’s been a Nike athlete since 2011, stirred controversy after he kneeled instead of stood during the national anthem prior to a game in the 2016 NFL preseason to protest police brutality and discrimination against people of color.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he explained in a post-game interview. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

After opting out of his contract with the team in March last year, the 30-year-old pro football player filed a collusion grievance against the league and remains a free agent. (Nike is the official apparel sponsor of the NFL.)

Now, in his first campaign with the sportswear giant in more than two years, Kaepernick is back to send a message for social justice.

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, Gino Fisanotti, told ESPN.

The ad also comes a few months after the Swoosh’s rival, Adidas, offered Kaepernick an endorsement deal if he signed onto a new team. The new NFL season kicks off on Thursday night.

You Have to See This Inspiring Nike Ad Celebrating Serena Williams’ Return to the US Open

7 of the NBA’s Most Fashionable Ballers — And Tidbits From the Stylists Crafting Their Looks</s>Nike Makes Colin Kaepernick Face Of Its 30th Anniversary ‘Just Do It’ Campaign

Colin Kaepernick probably will never play in the NFL again, but he gave up his dream in order to try and bring attention an important issue in the United States of America.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as a way to peacefully protest police brutality and racial inequality in America. Kaepernick has remained unsigned since he became a free agent after the 2016 season and currently is suing the NFL for collusion between the league and its owners to keep him out of the league.

While Kaepernick doesn’t have many supporters in NFL front offices, he does still have one major backer in the sports world: Nike.

The Swoosh announced Sunday that Kaepernick will be the face of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign, and Kaepernick tweeted out the ad, which is quite powerful.

According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Nike continued to pay Kaepernick even though he was unsigned and was waiting for the right time to announce the continued partnership.

The athletic apparel giant has taken flack in the past for sticking by athlete’s like Michael Vick, who went to prison for his role in a dog fighting operation, but it certainly got some supporters back for backing Kaepernick, who clearly should still be an NFL quarterback.</s>Surely there will be a calm, rational, well reasoned response to this story.

Nike revealed, through ESPN’s Darren Rovell, that it is making Colin Kaepernick the face of its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary ad campaign.

The initial image, announced through Rovell, has a close up of Kaepernick’s face with the caption: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

The NFL season will start Thursday, and Kaepernick remains unsigned. That whole story makes the Kaepernick-Nike alliance a bit more interesting.

Kaepernick recently won the summary judgment phase of his collusion case against the NFL, which indicated arbitrator Stephen Burbank felt there was enough merit in the arguments and evidence produced by Kaepernick’s lawyers to warrant a trial in the case. It was a loss for the NFL, which has claimed there was no collusion to keep Kaepernick out of the league, although dozens of less-qualified quarterbacks have signed with teams since Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to bring attention to social issues.

Nike is a corporate sponsor with the NFL. They provide the official jerseys for the league that Kaepernick is trying to beat in a collusion case.

Colin Kaepernick will draw emotional responses on both sides

The wording of Rovell’s tweet made it seem like Nike had kept its sponsorship agreement with Kaepernick under wraps, waiting to have a big unveil with the start of this ad campaign. The last significant story involving Kaepernick and a shoe company came in April, when Adidas said it would be interested in adding Kaepernick as a spokesman if he signed with a team. ESPN reported Kaepernick has been on Nike’s endorsement roster since 2011, but it hasn’t used him in any campaigns.

It’s an interesting decision for Nike. No other athlete produces the same emotional response as Kaepernick. Some will rip Nike and claim they’ll never buy their products again. Others who support Kaepernick will gladly shift their dollars to Nike for its support of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who is viewed as a hero to many for standing up for social issues even if it meant the NFL ultimately would freeze him out.

If Nike wanted the maximum attention possible for its new advertising campaign, mission accomplished.

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!



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• MLB postseason picture takes shape</s>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Colin Kaepernick has a new deal with Nike, even without having a job in the NFL.

Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, made the announcement on Twitter, calling the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback an “All American Icon” and crediting attorney Ben Meiselas for getting the deal done.

Kaepernick also posted a Nike ad featuring his face and wrote: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. (Hashtag) JustDoIt”

Kaepernick already had a deal with Nike that was set to expire, but it was renegotiated into a multi-year 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 person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Nike hasn’t officially announced the contract.

The source says Nike will feature Kaepernick on several platforms, including billboards, television commercials and online ads. Nike also will create an apparel line for Kaepernick and contribute to his Know Your Rights charity. The deal puts Kaepernick in the top bracket of NFL players with Nike.

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.

Last week, Kaepernick scored a legal victory in his grievance against the NFL and its 32 teams when an arbitrator denied the league’s request to throw out the quarterback’s claims that owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests of social injustice.

Kaepernick contends the owners violated their collective bargaining agreement with players by conspiring to keep him off teams. His case hinges on whether owners worked together rather than decided individually to not sign Kaepernick.

A similar grievance is still pending by former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, a Pro Bowl safety who joined in the protests.

On Friday night, Kaepernick and Reid, also now out of the league, were each given huge ovations when they were introduced and shown on the big screen during a match between Serena and Venus Williams at the U.S. Open.

Kaepernick began a wave of protests by NFL players two seasons ago, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. The protests have grown into one of the most polarizing issues in sports, with President Donald Trump loudly urging the league to suspend or fire players who demonstrate during the anthem.

Meanwhile, 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 national anthem. Owners approved a policy requiring players to stand if they are on the sideline during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” 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.</s>Colin Kaepernick Is Chosen For Nike's Anniversary 'Just Do It' Campaign

With his decision two summers ago to not stand for the national anthem, Colin Kaepernick became the face of a protest movement in the NFL against racial injustice and police brutality. Now, the former quarterback has become a face of one of the most iconic advertising campaigns in the history of sports: Nike's "Just Do It" campaign.

An early image from the campaign made its debut on Monday with a tweet from Kaepernick. The advertisement shows a black-and-white image of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. The text on top of the image reads: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

As part of the campaign commemorating the 30th anniversary of "Just Do It," Nike will produce new Kaepernick apparel, including a shoe and a T-shirt, according to The New York Times. The company — which supplies game-day uniforms and sideline apparel for the league's 32 teams — will also donate to Kaepernick's "Know Your Rights" campaign, according to The Times.

News of Kaepernick's role in the campaign comes at a delicate moment for the NFL. With the 2018 regular season set to begin on Thursday, the league and its players union remain locked in a stalemate over a controversial national anthem policy ratified by team owners in May. The policy gave players the option to stay in the locker room during the anthem, but required them to stand if on the field or face possible discipline by their teams.

The policy was put on hold in July, leaving the NFL without a resolution to what's become one of the most polarizing issues in sports. The player protests have drawn frequent criticism from President Trump, who in a speech last September said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now?' "

In an interview shortly after his protest began, Kaepernick told NFL media, "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way." Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since parting ways with the 49ers at the end of the 2016 season. He alleges that the NFL colluded to deny him a contract as punishment for his role in the player protests. Last week, an arbitrator ruled that his grievance against the league merits a formal hearing.

The NFL has yet to issue a response to the ad campaign, but some in the league have said they believe the protests have damaged the popularity of professional football. Nike, for its part, has previously said that it "supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society."</s>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nike Inc has chosen Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, as one of the faces for advertisements commemorating the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” slogan, a move that could draw U.S. President Donald Trump’s ire.

“Colin has been a Nike athlete since 2011,” Nike spokeswoman Sandra Carreon-John said on Monday. “Colin is one of a number of athletes being featured as part of our 30th anniversary of Just Do It.”

She said Nike unveiled the campaign last week by releasing a film featuring Serena Williams entitled “Voice of Belief.”

Based on images sent by Nike, other athletes featured in the ad campaign include New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., skateboarder Lacey Baker and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin, who is an amputee with one hand.

Former NFL quarterback Kaepernick posted a black-and-white close-up of himself on Instagram and Twitter on Monday featuring the Nike logo and “Just do it” slogan along with the quote, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” said Gino Fisanotti, a Nike vice president of brand for North America, according to ESPN, which first reported Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick as part of the ad campaign.

Representatives for Kaepernick and the National Football League did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Kaepernick was a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers for six years. He stirred a national controversy by taking a knee while the anthem was played before games during the NFL’s 2016 season to draw attention to police killings of black men and other issues.

The anthem protests, soon embraced by other players, raised the ire of some NFL fans and Trump, who has said he would love to see NFL owners fire football players who disrespect the American flag.

The NFL this season has adopted a rule requiring all players to stand during the anthem, although it gave them the option of staying off the field until the ceremony was over. Even so, the protests have persisted through the preseason and the NFL has said it is in discussions with the players union on the policy.

Kaepernick and another former 49ers player, Eric Reid, have not been signed by any of the NFL’s 32 teams since their protests spread around the league. Both have filed collusion grievances against NFL owners.

On Thursday, arbitrator Stephen Burbank denied the league’s request to dismiss the case, which means he found sufficient evidence for the case to continue and perhaps go to trial.

News of Nike’s ad campaign broke just days before the first game of the NFL season on Thursday, when the controversy over pre-game protests could flare anew.

“Nike has always been and will continue to be my family’s favorite shoe,” wrote Twitter user @TheDionneMama.

But other reaction on Twitter was negative. “Time to throw away all my Nike crap,” wrote @SportDuh 17.

Kaepernick received an enthusiastic welcome from fans at the U.S. Open’s showcase tennis match between Serena and Venus Williams on Friday night when he was shown raising his fist on the big screen.</s>Colin Kaepernick named face of Nike's new 30th anniversary 'Just Do It' campaign originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, currently embroiled in legal proceedings against the league over alleged collusion by owners, has been chosen as the new face of Nike.

Kaepernick tweeted Monday afternoon he was picked to helm the esteemed shoe brand's 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign -- a return to the slogan that made the company famous.

The quarterback, who knows a thing or two about the sentiment, tweeted a photo of himself with the quote, "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything," with the hashtag "JustDoIt.

Kaepernick has been the face of controversy in sports since the 2016 NFL preseason when he decided initially to sit during the national anthem as a means of protesting the treatment of minorities, especially by police. After consulting with a former U.S. Army member, Nate Boyer, he decided to kneel in protest before games. He was joined by San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid, as well as others around the league.

The 30-year-old started just 11 games in 2016 -- one year after starting only eight in 2015 -- after leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in February 2013 and signed a $126 million contract in 2014. He opted out of his contract in 2017, though general manager John Lynch told Pro Football Talk he would've been released if he'd opted in.

In the fall, despite Kaepernick not being signed by any teams, President Donald Trump reignited the fury over his protests during a rally for Alabama Sen. Luther Strange.

Trump told the crowd in September 2017, "Wouldn’t you love to see one of the NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'Get that son of a b---- off the field right now?'

"You know, some owner ... is going to say, 'That guy who disrespects our flag, he’s fired,'" Trump said.

Though Trump didn't mention Kaepernick by name -- and he's never mentioned Kaepernick on his Twitter account -- he's continued to be the focal point of criticism, mostly by conservatives.

Kaepernick, who is still unsigned, filed a grievance against the NFL saying owners colluded to keep him out of the league. Reid, who hasn't been signed this offseason, also joined the grievance. An arbiter denied the NFL's motion to dismiss the case last week, which paves the way for it to go to trial, Kaepernick's lawyer Mark Geragos tweeted.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams, a fellow Nike athlete, offered support for her new stable mate after a match at the U.S. Open last week, and echoed those sentiments in a tweet Monday evening.

Williams wasn't the only one who tweeted support for Kaepernick on Monday. Oddly enough, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually advocated for the quarterback on his verified account. The former president, who was in the role from 2005 to 2013, is now a university professor. He sparred with the George W. Bush administration during his tenure, not to mention Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

He had nothing but praise for Kaepernick, though, and advocated him being added to an NFL roster.</s>On Monday, Nike unveiled an ad campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” campaign, featuring Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who began the practice of kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in 2016 and hasn’t played professionally since.

The ads, which feature a close-up of Kaepernick’s eyes and the text “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” immediately reignited the debate over the propriety of the protest. One side, led by President Trump, says that refusing to stand during the anthem is an insult to the nation, flag, military and veterans, while the other argues that the military fights for Kaepernick’s right to protest in the way he sees fit.

More: Colin Kaepernick featured in Nike's 'Just Do It' 30th-anniversary ad

More: Colin Kaepernick's new 'Just Do it' Nike ad puts pressure on NFL to take a stand

Alhough the debate has been raging for over two seasons and flares up just about every Sunday, this time was different because Nike, the biggest player in the athletic apparel game, was involved. Nike is the official apparel company of the NFL.

By Tuesday, boycott talk had begun, with Kaepernick critics burning or cutting up their Nike gear. John Rich of the country duo Big & Rich tweeted that their soundman, a former Marine, had cut the swoosh logo out of his socks. "Get ready @Nike. Multiply that by the millions,” he warned. (Indeed, Nike's share price dipped by about 2.1 percent Tuesday morning.)

Rich wasn't the only celebrity speaking out about the ad, but so far, he has been in the minority.

Here's what other stars had to say:

"Child, please," scoffed singer Tevin Campbell to boycotters. "(Nike will) be more than ok if you do and I’m sure they anticipated this foolery."

Comedian DL Hughley argued that the proposed Nike boycott is a "protest against a protest" and has "nothing to do with the flag or the anthem."

"House of Cards" star Michael Kelly thanked Nike and Kaepernick "for the extra motivation this morning," adding the hashtag "#ImWithKap."

"Madam Secretary" star Erich Bergen lamented the energy being wasted, noting the country has much bigger fish to fry: "Half of Puerto Rico doesn't have power, there is a water crisis in Flint, and too many people in this country can't afford food today. If we put one ounce of the energy behind the #NikeBoycott behind an issue that actually mattered, we could solve it in a week. Wanna #MAGA? Focus."

And while he's not a star in the Hollywood sense, former CIA director John Brennan has been revered as such thanks to his criticism of President Trump’s performance, especially after it cost him security clearance. And he has the player’s back.

"Colin Kaepernick drew our collective attention to the problem of continued racial injustice in America. He did so not to disrespect our flag but to give meaning to the words of the preamble of our Constitution — 'in order to form a more perfect union.' Well done, Colin, well done," he wrote.

Emily Brandwin, a former CIA officer who appeared on digital companion series for FX’s “The Americans” and ABC’s “Quantico,” wrote, I served our country & love all she represents. I support & love our troops. I support @Kaepernick7 & am inspired by how he lives the American spirit by peacefully exercising his 1st Amendment right. That’s why I wear @Nike.”</s>Colin Kaepernick, the former N.F.L. quarterback who inspired a player protest movement but who has been out of a job for more than a year, has signed a new, multiyear deal with Nike that makes him a face of the 30th anniversary of the sports apparel company’s “Just Do It” campaign, Nike confirmed on Monday.

The first advertisement from Nike, one of the league’s top partners, debuted Monday afternoon, when Kaepernick tweeted it, assuring that his activism and the protest movement against racism and social injustice he started would continue to loom over one of the country’s most powerful sports leagues.

Nike will produce new Kaepernick apparel, including a shoe and a T-shirt, and if the merchandise sells well, the value of the deal will rival those of other top N.F.L. players, according to people close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because Nike had not formally announced it. Nike will also donate money to Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights” campaign.

The N.F.L. did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ad and the campaign, coming a few days before the start of the N.F.L. season on Thursday, is likely to annoy the league’s top executives and its owners. On Thursday, Kaepernick won a victory in his grievance against the league when an arbitrator let his case, in which he accuses the league of conspiring to keep him off the field because of his activism, advance.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is expected to become the "new face" of the Nike advertising campaign Just Do It.