A new $150 Colin Kaepernick replica jersey commemorating the four-year anniversary of his refusal to stand for the national anthem went on...
A new $150 Colin Kaepernick replica jersey commemorating the four-year anniversary of his refusal to stand for the national anthem went on sale at Nike.com on Thursday only to be sold out in a matter of minutes.
'WOW,' NBC Washington anchor Jummy Olabanji wrote on Twitter. 'The @Kaepernick7 x @nikestore jersey went on sale at 10am. A friend logged on at 9:59. Immediately tried to purchase via Apple Pay and at 10:01 it said sold out.'
Other sports apparel enthusiasts shared similar complaints on social media in a replay of Nike's December 2019 rollout of a new Kaepernick sneaker, which also sold out in just minutes.
A new $150 Colin Kaepernick replica jersey commemorating the four-year anniversary of his refusal to stand for the national anthem went on sale at Nike.com on Thursday only to be sold out in a matter of minutes
Kaepernick, now entering his fourth season as a free agent, became a civil rights figure as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 when he refused to stand for the anthem in protest of inequality and racist police brutality. In addition to his sales success on Nike.com, Kaepernick's rookie jersey from his debut performance in 2011 (right) is expected to fetch around $100,000 at auction. The buyer wishes to remain anonymous
Nike says Kaepernick's No. 7 has become 'an iconic symbol for progress and positive change'
Colin Kaepernick promoted the release of the jersey on his own social media pages
'Four years ago, I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice,' Kaepernick wrote in a social media post promoting the jersey. 'It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football, something greater than me.
'Since then, the number 7 jersey has become a symbol for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities. Thank you for staying True.'
Like its predecessor, The Icon Jersey 2.0 is all black with black lettering, only this version comes with the phrase 'True to 7' on the inside collar.
Kaepernick, now entering his fourth season as a free agent, became a civil rights figure as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 when he refused to stand for the anthem in protest of inequality and racist police brutality.
Kaepernick (left) pictured in 2011 before coming off the bench against the Eagles in relief of starter Alex Smith (No. 11)
He opted out of his contact in anticipation of his release in March of 2017, but has not been signed. In 2019, he settled a grievance with the NFL for an undisclosed amount after accusing owners of blackballing him in retaliation for the controversial protests.
Kaepernick is still training in hopes of an NFL return, while continuing to raise money for his charity, the Know Your Rights Camp, as well as other entrepreneurial and charitable endeavors.
Although Kaepernick remains an NFL pariah, commissioner Roger Goodell admitted in June that the league should have listened to players' concerns about racism sooner, adding that he encourages teams to sign the former 49ers star.
In addition to his sales success on Nike.com, Kaepernick's rookie jersey from his debut performance in 2011 is expected to fetch around $100,000 at auction.
Julien's Auctions said on Thursday that the jersey, which is signed by Kaepernick, was worn by the quarterback on October 2, 2011, when he entered the 49ers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first quarter.
The seller wishes to remain anonymous.
Kaepernick is shown here during the NFL workout in late 2019. The workout lasted for about 1.5 hours. Eight NFL scouts were reportedly in attendance, but Kaepernick did not get signed
Kaepernick was supposed to be in Flowery Branch, Georgia for a workout at the Falcons' training facility in 2019. A Kaepernick supporter holds up a sign which read: 'I'm with Kap'
'He's a cultural icon. He's up there now with Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson - somebody that's using their fame to make a peaceful, powerful statement to highlight and bring attention to inequalities,' Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions, told Reuters.
The player's white jersey with red lettering has the number seven on the back and front and the name Kaepernick across the back shoulders. Kaepernick signed his name on the back.
The $100,000 pre-sale estimate is a conservative figure and the jersey could sell for a much higher price, Nolan said.
It will go up for auction in Beverly Hills on December 4, along with some 500 other sports items, including apparel owned by basketball players Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.
Kaepernick's status within Nike has only grown during his time away from the NFL.
He had an outstanding contract with Nike for years, but the company did not utilize him in its marketing campaigns until September of 2018, when Kaepernick was made the face of the 'Just Do It' campaign.
Last summer, Nike held off on its release of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July shoe after Kaepernick objected, saying that its Revolutionary-era U.S. flag with 13 white stars referenced an era when African-Americans were enslaved.
Many fans had criticized Nike's use of Kaepernick in their advertisements, with some burning the company's apparel in videos on social media. Some small colleges even discontinued the use of Nike apparel for their sports teams.
In spite of the negative reaction, Nike's stock price has improved since Kaepernick was made the face of the 'Just Do It' ad campaign on September 4, 2018, going from 79.39 to 117.29, which is where it closed on Wednesday.
'I thought Kap was bad for business,' wrote columnist and television host Sunny Hostin on Twitter last December. 'They sold out in minutes.'
Kaepernick has received some interest from NFL gteams, although even that is up for debate.
The league organized a tryout for Kaepernick in November, but after he objected to the terms of a waiver - which reportedly would have prevented him from suing the league for collusion again - he held his own tryout for a smaller number of NFL scouts.
Another issue that arose between Kaepernick and the league was the presence of Nike cameras, which were reportedly there to film a commercial for Kaepernick.
However, a Nike spokesman denied having a camera crew at the workout and declined further comment.
Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the NFL's waiver, and according to a piece on SI.com by attorney Michael McCann, the league was effectively asking Kaepernick to sign away his right to sue teams in the future, regardless of whether or not they participated in collusion.
Colin Kaepernick looks on during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew high school on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. Due to disagreements between Kaepernick and the NFL the location of the workout was abruptly changed. Kaepernick arrived in a shirt with 'Kunta Kinte' emblazoned across the front, referring to the famous character in 'Roots'
'Kaepernick—who clearly believes the league and teams unlawfully schemed to keep him out of the NFL from 2017 to 2019—would not want to surrender the ability to invoke that legal right in the future,' McCann wrote. 'Stated differently, if teams used the workout to engage in collusive activities against Kaepernick, there is no reason for Kaepernick to forgo the chance to pursue a legal claim over those activities.'
Kaepernick pictured in 2011, his rookie year
The NFL released a statement claiming that the waiver was 'standard.'
Scouts from eight NFL teams attended Kaepernick's workout, although 25 had originally planned on going to the league's tryout.
Jeff Nalley, Kaepernick's agent, was skeptical of the league's intentions after the workout was announced.
'If teams want to see him, they will ask to work him out,' he told reporters in November of 2019. 'No team asked for this workout.'
Nalley said he feared all along that there was 'an ulterior motive' behind the NFL´s offer to stage an unprecedented, combine-style workout for one player - especially since Kaepernick was given only two hours to accept or reject it. The league turned down his requests to move the workout to a later date or to hold it on a Tuesday, when more coaches and general managers would be likely to attend since that is an off day for most teams.
A native of Milwaukee, Kaepernick was a second-round pick out of Nevada in 2011, but didn't assume the starter's role until the 2012 season.
He helped guide the 49ers to three consecutive NFC championship games, and earned a Super Bowl berth in February of 2013.
Not only do his career statistics compare favorably with many current NFL quarterbacks, but legends such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have both stated that with his ability, Kaepernick deserves to play in the NFL.
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