Colin Kaepernick Nike Commercial’s Emmy Nomination Sparks Divide Among Social Media

Colin Kaepernick officially has another accolade to add to his resume. The professional football player was nominated for an Emmy for his appearance in the Nike ad, “Dream Crazy.”

The advertisement was nominated for Outstanding Commercial, according to CBS Austin. In the commercial, which references Kaepernick’s infamous protest of police brutality, he urged viewers to “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” Fans of the former 49ers player were thrilled, while critics were outraged.

Following the news, Twitter was flooded with conflicting reactions. Ring-wing pseudo celebrity Tomi Lahren led the charge with anger, calling Kaepernick’s nomination “a joke.”

Lahren had been outspoken in her issue with Kaepernick’s protest, which saw him kneel during the National Anthem. Many other NFL viewers joined her in expressing their dissatisfaction with the movement. As a result, Kaepernick was blacklisted from the NFL for some time.

Still, some fans stuck by him. Twitter also saw an influx of positive reactions to news that Kaepernick was nominated for an Emmy.

“[Colin Kaepernick] Congrats on your Emmy nomination for that incredible commercial. Keep your head high and your spirit strong,” one Twitter user wrote.

“Congrats [Colin Kaepernick] [Nike] on your Emmy nomination and making racists cry,” another tweeted.

“Love the work you both bring forth. Congrats on [your] Emmy winners,” a third wrote on Twitter.

Kaepernick recently faced a very different kind of controversy related to his relationship with Nike. The athletics company was slammed by the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) for maintaining a relationship with Kaepernick after pulling a shoe featuring an early American flag design due to his concerns, Fox 17 Nashville reported.

Nike announced its decision to pull the shoe ahead of the 4th of July holidays, amid concerns from Kaepernick and others tied to the company over the symbolism of the Betsy Ross flag featured on it. The Wall Street Journal reported that Kaepernick and others thought the Betsy Ross Flag was offensive, noting that it was linked to an era of slavery.

As a result, CAAP took a stand against Kaepernick, sending an open letter to Nike’s CEO and President Mark Parker. CAAP called on Parker to “stand up for America.”

“Many of us marched in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and have an established record of civic activism…We represent a variety of races, ethnicities, and creeds. And we agree that Mr. Kaepernick’s views on America and the flag are fringe opinions, not shared by any of us especially the African Americans who marched against segregation with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In fact, we find Mr. Kaepernick’s views to be ill-informed and offensive, especially to veterans and others who have served this country,” the letter read.

It went on to call for the company to end its relationship with Kaepernick.