Minor League Baseball Team Pokes Fun At Colin Kaepernick And Nike, Then Apologizes
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A Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate baseball team has apologized for mocking former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s alleged role in nixing a new Nike sneaker that was emblazoned with the flag of the original 13 colonies.
The Tennessee Smokies responded a day after Nike recalled the shoe, reportedly because Kaepernick advised that the flag image was offensive and a reminder of slavery days. Kaepernick was the first NFL player to kneel during the National Anthem, allegedly because he was protesting police violence against African Americans. He became a free agent but wasn’t signed by any other NFL team, finally winning a settlement for collusion.
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In response to Kaepernick’s role in shelving the flag shoe, the Smokies tweeted out an image of the 13-star Betsy Ross flag symbol on their infield.
The tweet’s caption: “Hey @Kaepernick7 after a lot of thought, we have decided it’s best to just do it. #America,” the tweet said, a reference to Nike’s famous “Just do it” slogan.
The team’s marketing and community relations manager, Connor Pearce, called it a “lighthearted take on a current situation” in a talk with the Associated Press.
But later, the team removed the tweet and apologized without further explanation.
Regarding one of our recent tweets regarding @Kaepernick7 and our field design for tonight's game, it was meant to be a light-hearted take on a current situation. We did not mean to offend anyone by it. If it did, we certainly apologize.
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) July 4, 2019
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