Some military families are attacking the Colin Kaepernick Nike ad because it doesn't show real 'sacrifice', though others disagree

Nike

Colin Kaepernick during the video version of the ad.

• Some veterans and their families are criticising Nike and Colin Kaepernick for their new ad campaign, which focuses on the idea of sacrifice.
• Kaepernick is on the new Nike advert with the slogan "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything".
• Servicemen and Gold Star families say that the "sacrifice" Kaepernick represents is not comparable to that experienced by military families.
• The widow of decorated sniper Chris Kyle attacked the ad campaign, as well as others with military links.
• The reaction has not been uniform. Other military personnel and their families have voiced support for Kaepernick.

Some US military families and veterans are attacking the Colin Kaepernick Nike ad which came out on Monday on the grounds that it does not depict true sacrifice - an issue dividing the military community.

The caption on the ad said "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything," a reference to the damage to Kaepernick's NFL career after he became embroiled in controversy for not standing for the national anthem.

Some interpreted his actions during the anthem as a snub to the military, which Kaepernick has denied. Nonetheless, it has caused many servicemen and women to voice an opinion on his actions, brought to prominence again by the ad.

Figures to speak out include a serving special forces sergeant, the widow of decorated sniper Chris Kyle, and the mother of a marine who died in a helicopter crash at the age of 21.

Nike/Colin Kaepernick via Twitter

Kaepernick in the billboard version of the ad.

Kaepernick hasn't played in more than a year, and is suing the NFL, which he says colluded to keep him off the field, harming his career.

The criticism from some military personnel is that the "sacrifice" embodied by Kaepernick bears little resemblance to the sacrifice of soldiers who die carrying out their duties.

Other people with military backgrounds have taken a different view, and voiced support for Kaepernick in open letters and on social media.

Tim Kennedy, a Green Beret sergeant and former UFC fighter, was a critic. He posted a video from his army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, saying: "I'm in a room of a bunch of heroes who in a heartbeat would die for Colin's right to do what he's doing. That's sacrifice. Not talking about giving away something."

Some on social media have suggested that Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who quit to join the army and died in Afghanistan, would have been a better candidate for the ad.

Taya Kyle, an author and the widow of Chris Kyle, posted an open letter to Nike on her Facebook page.

She said: "Your new ad with Colin Kaepernick, that sacrificing everything thing…It just doesn't play out here. Sacrificing what exactly? A career?"

Trina Hart, whose son Lance Corporal Ty Hart died in a helicopter crash over Hawaii at the age of 21, also posted an open letter criticising Nike.

In it she says: "Sit down and talk to any Gold Star family and you will find out that SACRIFICE isn't about a career, football, cars or money."

Gold Star is a term used to describe a family who has lost a child in active service.

She went on: "It's about that empty seat at our table, it's about never being handed a grandchild from our son, it's about not getting to see him come up the walk, it's about never feeling his hug again or hearing his voice. I could go on and on Nike. Why? Because we SACRIFICED it all."

"To use the word SACRIFICE in the way you just did is in poor taste. It offends so many."

She added a photo of her son's grave in the post.

More measured criticism came from Nate Boyer, a former NFL player who helped Kaepernick decide to kneel during the anthem, rather than sit down, on the grounds that it would be more respectful.

Boyer said the ad didn't depict what he understood to be sacrifice.

He told ABC 7 News in Los Angeles: "The ultimate sacrifice that we talk about often, with respect to people who have lost their lives fighting for the very things that the flag and the anthem are supposed to represent."

The reaction has not been uniform, however. Some military personnel and their families have been vocal in their support of Kaepernick and Nike.

Lily Burana, a journalist who is married to a US Army veteran, wrote a story for Salon.com entitled "Don't speak for my military family: A veteran's wife on Colin Kaepernick and the Nike boycott."

She said: "When you protest Kaepernick's protest, even in the name of "supporting the troops," you are refuting everything my husband fought for: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the peaceful pursuit of justice."

The hashtag #veteransforKaepernick, which first began trending in 2016 when the kneeling controversy began, was resurrected after the Nike ad came to light.

Pam Keith, a US Navy veteran running for office in Florida, was among those to tweet.

Others also joined in.

Despite generating a lot of news coverage, Nike shares fell around 2% after the ad came out, and have remained down.