Poll: 61% Of Americans Say Roger Goodell Owes Colin Kaepernick An Apology

A group of NFL players challenged the richest sports league in a powerful video earlier this month to condemn racism and support black players. A day later NFL Commissioner released his own video on Instagram and said, “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

Yet, Goodell’s mea culpa failed to mention Colin Kaepernick, who launched the NFL’s peaceful protests in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to draw attention to police brutality and racial inequality. A new Harris Poll
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conducted last week found 61% of Americans think Goodell still owes an apology to the 32-year-old Kaepernick, who has been out of the league since 2016.

The poll was done ahead of the NFL’s $250 million pledge over 10 years to “support the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African-Americans.” The NFL got middling grades from the public. Two-thirds of respondents said Goodell’s statement felt insincere and was done just for publicity, while 53% felt it was “too little too late.”

There is also a contingent of fans that don’t like the NFL’s recent reversal. Thirty-one percent opposed Goodell’s statement in the Harris Poll. President Donald Trump expressed his displeasure with Goodell via Twitter where he wrote, “Could it be even remotely possible that in Roger Goodell’s rather interesting statement of peace and reconciliation, he was intimating that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?”

The recent global protests that started after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis have helped shift the perception of Kaepernick and the brands that do business with him.

Nike
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highlighted the quarterback in its 2018 ad campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan. The ad angered some consumers, who didn’t like Kaepernick’s politics. It spurred hashtags like #BoycottNike and #JustBurnIt. The ad tagline spoke to Kap’s activism: “Believe in something. Even if it means losing everything.”

Harris revisited that ad last week and compared it to a 2018 poll when 21% of respondents vowed to boycott or stop buying Nike products after the marketing campaign was released. That dropped by a third to 14%, with the biggest shift in seniors, 34% “don’t buy/boycott” to 18%, as well as conservatives, 41% to 24%.

Nike’s reputation with the general public has strengthened as well over the past two years, with 54% having a positive opinion, up six percentage points. Under Armour is down eight points to 40%, while Adidas is down a tick to 51%. Nike’s brand is strongest among young men at a 66% positive rate.