World-renowned athletic apparel manufacturer Nike made a daring move when it decided to make former San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick the face of its timeless “Just Do It” campaign, and memers were more than happy to respond.
Kaepernick, better known for protesting the national anthem by taking a knee during the performance than his short-lived football career, has rightfully been the object of conservative scorn. His antics have inspired fellow millionaire players to also take a knee, supposedly to draw attention to police brutality and an alleged widespread mistreatment of black Americans by law enforcement.
It’s a bit confusing why Nike would choose to make Kaepernick, who was relegated to the third string by the time he lost his contract, the face of a campaign that promotes athletic excellence. Regardless, if the company’s intention was to get everyone to talk about them, they succeeded.
Now, we get to enjoy gems like the image to the left, which shows progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez behind the famed caption. It’s fitting, because Ocasio-Cortez appears to know just as much about economics as Kaepernick does.
~ Facts Not Memes
