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Racists are in their feelings over Kap’s new Nike ad

www.espn.com

Kap throws for 8 teams, tells NFL, 'Stop running'

Colin Kaepernick completed a 40-minute workout for what his agent said were representatives from eight NFL teams at an Atlanta-area high school on Saturday.
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Colin Kaepernick throws passes for 40 minutes at workout, urges NFL to 'stop running'

RIVERDALE, Ga. -- Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who completed a 40-minute workout in front of representatives from eight NFL teams on Saturday, said he's ready for another opportunity and wants the league to "stop running'' from him.

"I've been ready for three years,'' Kaepernick said. "I've been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here; showed it today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide. So we're waiting for the 32 owners, 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them stop running. Stop running from the truth. Stop running from the people.

"We're out here. We're ready to play. We're ready to go anywhere. My agent, Jeff Nalley, is ready to talk any team. I'll interview with any team at any time. I've been ready.''

Kaepernick saluted about 250 fans and signed autographs before addressing the media after his workout, which was moved about 60 miles from the Atlanta Falcons' facility in Flowery Branch to Charles R. Drew High School in Riverdale.

The change in venue interrupted schedules for many of the 25 teams that were scheduled to watch Kaepernick at the original site, but Kaepernick still threw in front of representatives from eight teams, according to Nalley -- among them the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans.

Kaepernick, who once quarterbacked the 49ers to the Super Bowl, protested police brutality and social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem and has been out of football since 2016.

The 32-year-old showed he still has an arm in completing deep balls to receivers Brice Butler, Bruce Ellington, Jordan Veasy, and Ari Wertz. Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, who supported Kaepernick going back to their days with the 49ers, was at the beginning of the workout but had to leave, with a game against the Falcons on Sunday.

Veasy said he found out about the workout Friday morning and worked out with Kaepernick at Georgia Tech before Saturday's session. He was asked what sort of message Kaepernick sent with the workout.

"A good one, one that's definitely going to help himself,'' Veasy said. "I don't think that's the question with Kap -- skill and ability.''

Asked about the hurdle of getting Kaepernick through NFL ownership if ability isn't the issue, Nalley responded, "Look, that's up to them. Roger Goodell represents the 32 owners, right? And he asked for this workout. Maybe this is Roger's first step into talking an owner into signing him. Hopefully, that's the case."

Kaepernick looked stronger up top than he was when he was with the 49ers and appeared to impress with his accuracy -- completing all but seven of his 60 scripted throws -- though not all his throws were perfect. It was a solid throwing session overall, particularly based on the circumstances.

The NFL originally scheduled the workout to take place at the Falcons' facility in front of 25 teams, but Kaepernick's camp switched venues following a disagreement between the two sides on the quarterback's liability waiver, as well as media availability, among other factors.

In a statement, the NFL said it was "disappointed that Colin did not appear for his workout.''

Colin Kaepernick declares that he has been ready to play for three years, and the ball is in the NFL and Roger Goodell's court.

The league said the waiver it sent Kaepernick's representatives was based on those "used by National Invitational Camp at all NFL Combines and by NFL clubs when trying out free agent players." An NFL source told ESPN that the waiver says the tryout isn't a guarantee of employment, "to prevent a player from claiming entitlement to worker's compensation if there was an injury."

A statement from Nalley and Kaepernick's attorney, Ben Meiselas, called that waiver "unusual" and said they proposed a "standard" liability waiver. The NFL called that proposed waiver "completely rewritten and insufficient."

The NFL also said it declined requests made by Kaepernick's camp in the 24 hours preceding the workout to have an additional camera crew record the workout and to open the session to media.

Nalley said it made no sense for the NFL to prevent Kaepernick's crew from filming their own workout. Nalley also said he spoke to a half-dozen general managers who were equally confused about the workout and the setup.

"The NFL was given a chance to have it at the Falcons' facility if they allowed y'all to watch the process and film it and have an independent camera crew, and they said 'No,'" Nalley said. "To me, it should be an open process. What's secretive about this?"

Nalley said the league called Tuesday morning and said the venue had to be in Atlanta. Nalley also said he asked for accommodations -- day and location -- that made more sense to allow general managers and head coaches to attend, and the NFL denied the request. The major issue wasn't the location, but holding the workout on a day such as Tuesday, when a decision-maker could be in attendance. There were no head coaches or general managers among the teams at Saturday's workout. The most noticeable person of influence was Andrew Berry, the Eagles' vice president of football operations.

"I asked for a list of the NFL personnel that were going to be there three times on Tuesday," Nalley said. "They told me three times on Tuesday they would [send a list]. And then on Thursday morning, they said, 'We never agreed to that.'"

Nalley said the league floated the idea that Kaepernick's workout was more about being signed for next season, so Nalley wondered why the workout couldn't take place at the NFL owners meetings Dec. 12 in Las Colinas, Texas. Nalley said he also suggested having the workout at the NFL Combine in February, but Kaepernick said he didn't want to take away from the players preparing for the draft.

Kaepernick's agent also said he still had questions about the league's involvement in the workout.

"I think, myself, I think all of you all had questions about it all week,'' Nalley said. "Something didn't smell right. Again, nothing like this has ever happened. Roger Goodell said that the league does not get involved in player workouts, team decisions. So why did they do this? So I think from the beginning it seemed odd. And so that's why we had to protect him in this whole process.''

When asked if he expected Kaepernick to receive a legitimate opportunity to sign with a team anytime soon, Nalley seemed skeptical.

"I hope so, but I don't know,'' Nalley said. "I'll be honest, I'm a little bit pessimistic because I've talked to all 32 teams. I've reached out to them recently, and none of them have had any interest. I'll tell you this: No team asked for this workout. The league office asked for this workout.

"And, I've got to tell you what, I've got to hand it to Colin. He stepped up, showed he's in shape. I talked to the NFL people out here today. They said his arm talent is elite, that it's the same as when he came out of college. I even asked them: 'If you want to get him on a scale, see what he weighs,' they said, 'We don't need to. He looks ripped. He looks in great shape.'"
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www.espn.com

Reid: Kap accomplished goal, proved he can play

Panthers safety Eric Reid, who attended Colin Kaepernick's workout on Saturday, said the former NFL quarterback "proved he can play this game. He proved he can throw the ball."
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Panthers' Eric Reid: Colin Kaepernick accomplished goal, proved he can play

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid could have thrown his team's management under the bus for not attending quarterback Colin Kaepernick's workout on Saturday after his quarterback threw four interceptions in Sunday's 29-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He didn't.

But Reid said Kaepernick, his former San Francisco 49ers teammate, proved in the workout what he's been hoping to prove the past three years since being "blackballed'' by the league for kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against social injustice.

"The goal was accomplished," said Reid, wearing a black No. 7 Kaepernick jersey. "He proved he can play this game. He proved he can throw the ball. Elite. That's what an NFL executive said."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that an NFL executive at the workout, which was moved at the last minute from the Falcons' practice facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, to a high school, said Kaepernick had "elite'' arm strength and threw well.

"He's been working out every day for three years," said Reid, the first player to join Kaepernick during the 2016 season in kneeling during the anthem. "Can you imagine the mental fortitude it takes to stay in shape for three years while somebody is blackballing you for you wanting to stand up for people who have been wronged?"

Reid said that is what people should be talking about, not that Kaepernick moved the workout to a different location because he wouldn't sign a waiver that reportedly could release him from any claims of collusion/retaliation that the quarterback might make as a result of his unemployment since settling his first collusion case in February.

Reid wasn't happy that ESPN's Stephen A. Smith posted a video saying Kaepernick's decision to move the workout was an indication that the 2011 second-round pick didn't really want to return to the NFL.

"That's nonsense," Reid said. "The proof of the workout was to show he can play the game, was to show he can throw the ball, and he did that. The NFL wanted to control the narrative by not letting independent NFL media into the workout to document the workout.

"They wouldn't even tell him who was going to run his routes for him. They wouldn't even give him a script for the workout. Is Colin supposed to trust an organization that has blackballed him? He's not that naive."

Reid attended Kaepernick's workout on his own without asking permission from the Panthers. He wanted to be there for the player he has stood and kneeled by since 2016.

"I went there on my free time and I came back in time for our meetings last night," Reid said. "Of course I'm going to be there for my brother. Y'all have seen that.

"The way he fights for people, the way he fights for justice, I want to make sure I'm there supporting him."

Reid maintained the workout was a PR stunt by the NFL, a description he also used Wednesday after Kaepernick was given only a few hours on Tuesday to decide whether he would attend. He said the waiver further convinced him he was right.

"We knew this was a PR stunt from the beginning," Reid said. "When we got that waiver we were like, 'Ah, we see that. It's the employment rights. You want him to forfeit his employment rights.'

"They've never had Colin's best interests at heart. If that was the case, why are they making such a big deal about moving the workout?"

That the Panthers didn't attend the workout didn't surprise Reid because team owner David Tepper told him last week Carolina wasn't looking for a veteran quarterback to compete with Kyle Allen.

After Allen's four interceptions against Atlanta, Reid refused to blame the second-year, undrafted quarterback, calling it a team loss. He noted the line didn't give Allen much time to work and the defense made its share of mistakes. With that said, Reid added, "I think we could use Colin's help. I think every team in the league could use Colin's help. I would definitely be excited if he was here."
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sports.yahoo.com

Nike's value is up $26.2B since Colin Kaepernick endorsement. Now it’s close to unveiling his shoe

Sources told Yahoo Sports that Nike is expecting a nationwide release of the shoe early next month as it continues to develop its strategy around Kaepernick.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com

Nike's value is up $26.2B since Colin Kaepernick endorsement. Now it’s close to unveiling his shoe

Roughly 14 months since Nike signed Colin Kaepernick to a new star-level endorsement deal, the signature shoe that was the centerpiece of the agreement is set to be rolled out in December, shoe industry sources told Yahoo Sports.

The inclusion of a shoe and a Kaepernick branded “Icon” jersey was first reported by Yahoo Sports in 2018, with his footwear rollout speculated to be on track for the 2019 holiday season. Sources told Yahoo Sports this week that Nike is expecting a nationwide release of the shoe early next month as it continues to develop the company’s endorsement strategy around Kaepernick.

Although the total number of Icon jerseys sold by Nike is unknown, the February online release of that item sold out in a matter of hours. Priced at $150 upon release, the authentic versions of the Nike jersey now sell on the secondary market for $300 or more. Counterfeit versions of the jersey have also spread across secondary clothing sites for $50 or more.

Sources declined to say how many Kaepernick shoes Nike would release, but the projected demand has been strong enough that the apparel giant ramped up production figures during the course of development.

Images of Colin Kaepernick’s shoe have popped up
Images of the shoe have leaked in recent days, with Kaepernick appearing to wear a pair of them while stretching at his recent Atlanta workout.

Kaepernick confidant and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid also posted a photo of the shoes on his Instagram on Sunday, with the caption: “Game day fit You already know #ImwithKap y’all see the kicks”.



Nike’s bold move paying off?
Nike’s ride with Kaepernick has been a wild one, with the initial endorsement sparking a shuddering divide among consumers that has seemingly been emblematic of almost everything tied to the former NFL quarterback. However, proclamations of doom for the company have been sorely mistaken, as Nike’s sales figures boomed in the ensuing months after the deal. It’s a timeframe that also included a well-received commercial featuring Kaepernick coining the phrase “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

As of Wednesday, Nike’s stock rose over 18 percent since the announcement of the Kaepernick deal, adding a whopping $26.2 billion to the company’s bottom line and valuing it at nearly $146 billion. While that bump is associated with a wide range of factors across the corporation, the notion of a Kaepernick-centered campaign being an albatross for sales and popularity has never come close to materializing.

The success has come with controversy about Kaepernick’s influence on product lines. Last June, Kaepernick was a key influencer in Nike pulling a Betsy Ross-themed shoe before it hit circulation, recalling nationwide shipments just days before its release. The shoes featured a colonial era version of the American flag with 13 stars in a circle, which has been co-opted by a handful of white nationalist groups as a symbol of their movement.

After the concerns of Kaepernick and others were shared with Nike, the company scuttled the release, stating that the company didn’t want to unintentionally offend consumers. In the wake of that decision, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey threatened to wipe out financial incentives for a Nike factory that was planned within the state. Days later, Ducey receded from that threat, stating that he “welcomed” Nike to Arizona, along with the jobs the new factory was set to create.
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^^^ That article by yahoo has already been debunked. As someone that owns nike stock, I can tell you that it is not true. I wish it was.
 
GNS said:
I would love to have sat in that meeting when the Nike board members made that decision.
Wanna hear the reasoning to see how they can turn a profit off of this.
Does the black dollar and influence matter to them that much?
They must have years of data on sales and decided it was worth the risk.
Idc what nobody sez, no company this huge(and profit driven) doesn't make sure they go over the numbers thoroughly to make sure this is worth it.
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Nike knows that most of the people screaming “boycott” wasn’t likely to buy Nike products anyway...
 
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