Buzzing all across the web, it is unfortunate to discover renowned Pilipino boxer Manny Pacquiao has lost his endorsement deal with Nike for comments he made during a video statement where he commented on same-sex marriage.
Aspiring to take a political stand in the Philippines and help his country flourish, Pacquiao was simply caught slipping. “If we approve male on male on male, female on female (marriage), then man is worse than animal,” Pacquiao said.
With describing people in same-sex marriages as behaving worse than animals, Pacquiao was quick to retract the statement, making an apology, but mentioned that as a Christian, he still stands against same-sex marriage due to Biblical teachings. His comments were aired on a Pilipino television station earlier this week.
In a mere instant, Manny and Nike are no more, ending an eight year partnership. “We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent. Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community. We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao,” a Nike spokesman stated.
One glaring fact that stands out is that Pacquiao never stood in the same echelon as other fellow Nike athletes, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
“Nike used Pacquiao like a billboard, plastering his ring shorts and shoes with the famous swoosh logo, but rarely using his likeness for anything more,” Rovell said.
While Pacquiao apologized, he respects Nike’s decision to drop him from their endorsement roster, but still stands firm on his views toward same-sex marriage. “I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals,” Pacquiao tweeted. “Please forgive me for those I hurt. God bless!”
https://youtu.be/4wdvRf0ZkpM
With Pacquiao’s camp understanding the reality of the situation, even his promoter, Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank said he understood Nike’s decision.
“Nike is in the business of selling its products to as wide of an audience as they can, and Manny’s comments were insulting to a lot of people,” Arum told ESPN. “His comments were made to a Filipino audience, where same-sex marriage is not as accepted as it is here, and Manny is a convert of enlightened Christianity, which does not believe in same-sex relationships. But to people in the United States, his words can only be viewed as hate speech.”
Pacquiao’s termination from Nike shows the company’s intolerance toward anything that may hurt their universal image. It should be noted that over the past four years, Nike has ended relationships with sprinter Oscar Pistorius, golfer Tiger Woods, NFL running backs Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice, and cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Seeing the issue from every angle, it looks to be a positive decision by Nike to severe ties with Pacquiao. It may have been abrupt, but for as prestigious and recognized as Nike is to the world, they don’t have the time to put their energy towards fixing a single individual’s mistakes.
People need to take accountability for what they say and do. In this case, maybe Pacquiao should have found a different way to express his discontent with same-sex marraige. Same-sex marriage is a touchy subject, especially in America where people across the county are championing equality for same-sex marriage.
The freedom of speech can get you in trouble sometimes, and it sure got the best of Pacquiao this time around. Despite the recent announcement, Pacquiao remains a strong candidate for the Senate seat in the Philippines, which could lead him to the country’s presidency in due time.
No one can shy away Pacquiao’s honesty, but he has lost a partner as a result of it. Word choice is always key and maybe he could have found a less radical way to explain his views on same-sex marriage.
Nonetheless, he is a countryman and a legend to the Pilipino community. This may be a poke into his armor, but Pacquiao is a resilient individual that shows pride in all he does.
What are your thoughts on Nike’s decision? Will this incident tarnish Pacquiao’s image as it has to other athletes endorsed by Nike? Feel free to comment below.