Don’t Be Mad At Kaepernick, Be Mad At the Institution Making You Mad At Kaepernick

Chris LaForge
Sep 6, 2018 · 4 min read

If there’s anything that we’ve learned from Nike’s most recent ad campaign featuring (forcibly) ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick, it’s that people are fiery. People are politically polarized. And sadly, people are misguided.

In recent days, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have been bursting at the seams with people collectively losing their minds over this ad and posting anti-Nike rhetoric, vowing to never buy another Nike product, and even going as far as burning their shoes and destroying their own property. And even though Kaepernick has outwardly spoken of his support for the military, the overwhelming reaction of disdain is pointed at the claim that he’s “disrespecting our flag and military” by kneeling, and it’s unwarranted because he gets paid millions of dollars a year to play a game.

An NFL stadium is no place for political protest…” — Virtually every conservative honking about Kaepernick’s protest for the last two years

The whole “stick to sports” mantra that has become so popularized is nothing more than a funny, hypocritical concept, especially in the NFL. The National Football League is an organization that has always tried to project an apolitical image and discourage players from individuality and personal belief on the field. The league, in various instances, has issued fines for wearing different colored cleats in support of research organizations, banned helmet stickers supporting fallen heroes, and forced players to turn clothing inside out because of a religious connotation. But here’s the thing: like it or not, the NFL has ALWAYS been a hub for political discourse. People just haven’t paid attention or choose to look the other way.

As the popularity of the NFL has grown, the league has been forced to take stances on hot-button issues like domestic violence, LGBTQ rights, and player safety/labor laws. But nowhere has the political messaging become more prevalent inside of any stadium than the omnipresent embracing of the military. Every Sunday, massive American flags stretch the length of the field, oftentimes held by military servicemen. Halftimes and timeouts feature reunions of families and enlisted troops. There are recruitment tables, enlisting events, Salute to Service week, live cutaways to overseas soldiers during marquee games, and announcers thanking the troops after every military sponsored advertisement.

No other sport compares to the NFL in military appreciation, and it makes sense. In recent years, the NFL has become the military’s propaganda soapbox. We know that from 2012–2015, the Defense Department paid the league over $700,000 for military flyovers, enlistment events, flag unfurlings, etc, and has continued to pay many more millions since. And even though the NFL has since refunded some of these tax-payer funded military appreciation events, this activity caused the Star-Spangled Banner to become the image of paying respect to the military. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with this. There’s no group of people that deserve to be respected more. But that doesn’t mean that the people we honor have ownership over patriotism and the meaning of our anthem.

The reason the claim that Kaepernick is disrespecting the flag and the military is unfair is because the people making those claims are simply projecting what the anthem means to them onto the situation. And you can’t blame them. When it’s played before a game spectated by 80,000 fans and millions more watching at home, usually while the flag is being stretched across a 100-yard field and followed up with an emotional military color guard or uproarious applause after the showcasing of a military section, the connection of the anthem and the military is going to be ingrained in people.

The anthem is a song. And like any song, it doesn’t have an objective meaning. It can be written or composed with intent, but like any piece of music or art form, its ultimate interpretation is held by the person who listens to it. However, in the case of the NFL, it’s a government-funded conditioning system. And that’s on purpose. It has nothing to do with defending the military’s honor. Nobody is trying to disrespect the military. In fact, kneeling during the anthem was suggested by an ex-Green Beret named Nate Boyer as a way to protest and still show respect for those that fight for the freedom to do so. It’s to make people mad at something completely arbitrary and allow an entire organization to conspire and ban a person of color from playing a game because they used a massive platform, and in this case their career, to speak their truth. A man being fired from his job is no reason to celebrate. A man that is fired from his job for something he believes in and then donates millions to underserved communities that are a product of the very injustices he’s protesting…that’s something to celebrate. And that’s what Nike has done.

So, don’t be mad at Kaepernick and other athletes for taking a knee to protest police brutality, racial injustice, and systemic oppression. Be mad that the current president and administration have labeled Kaepernick a pariah. Be mad that politicians and team owners have worked to vilify a social activist and condemn free speech. Above all else, be mad that the reason people are choosing to ignore certain realities and are being triggered by an ad campaign is not because the military was disrespected, but because their patriotism was sold for a profit.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade