When it comes to sports gear in America, no one is as well-known as Nike. That may be true across the globe as well. But with lots of notoriety comes lots of attention, and in the case of Nike and other well-known brands, that's not always a good thing.
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The latest so-called scandal involves the England national soccer team jerseys — the backs of which are adorned with St. George's cross. The cross/emblem is traditionally red with a white background.
But that changed once Nike got ahold of the uniforms. Now, that cross is red, black, purple, pink and blue for 2024. This drew ire from both the English soccer community and those who are on the lookout for such things back in the States.
Now, Nike did address the new cross/logo, calling it a "playful update" that's designed to "unite and inspire."
"But many accused that the brand is introducing nothing more than a woke nod to the LGBTQ+ movement," Outkick wrote. "Those assumptions are fair given that Nike elected to completely get rid of St. George's cross on the collar of the kit and replace it with a multicolor ... whatever that is."
The new @England 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒔 celebrate football heroes 🦸 of the past with a modern twist.
Made with 𝑫𝒓𝒊-𝑭𝑰𝑻 𝑨𝑫𝑽 to breathe with you 😮💨 in the moments that matter most. #NikeFootball pic.twitter.com/G2CkgHp3v6
— Nike Football (@nikefootball) March 18, 2024
Oh boy. Here we go.
Honestly, though, why can't Nike just leave well enough alone? What's the point of a "playful update" other than to say, "Gosh, look at how cool our marketing department is."
Nike isn't alone. Too many gear providers try to boost sales by being cute. But in cases such as the England national team, just leave it be, man. People are still going to buy it.
And guess what? If you leave things alone, you're not going to bring yourself into question and potentially tick off half your customers. Gee, what a concept.
"The left have a nerve to ask me why I want my country back," Reform UK MP Lee Anderson told the Daily Express.
"This virtue signaling (sic), namby-pamby, pearl-clutching woke nonsense must stop. Any more of this and I'll be on the first flight to Rwanda."
For Nike, that sounds like a big kick where it counts.
