Nike brought back controversy for commercial advantage: Varney

If you thought, or hoped, that football’s anthem problem would go away this season, think again. It’s been revived. And Nike did it.

Tonight, the first game of the new season, and Nike is running an ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, the man who started the anti-police, kneeling protests during the national anthem.

I don’t think this is good for anyone, except perhaps Mr. Kaepernick who is now being treated as some kind of high-minded moralist.

It’s bad for football. The game itself is losing ground with far fewer youngsters participating.

It’s bad for the players. TV ratings dropped sharply last year: that takes money out of the players’ pockets.

It’s extremely annoying for football fans: they don't like seeing our flag disrespected by millionaire athletes.

And it’s bad for the country. Football is our No. 1 sport. Uniquely American. How does it look to the rest of the world when a handful of kneelers trash our country?

This is what happens when divisive politics jumps out of the political arena and infects everything else!

And Nike did this. They brought back the controversy, apparently for commercial advantage.

It’s a sad day when a clothing company sticks it to America. A sad day when athletes hurt their own sport. And it’s a sad day when football is contaminated with protest politics.