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Louisiana city bans purchase of Nike products by booster clubs

Posted at 11:23 AM, Sep 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-10 13:23:55-04

KENNER, La. - Booster clubs in Kenner, Louisiana, are now forbidden to buy any Nike products.

Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn sent out a memo on September 5 with the new directive, a day after Nike made headlines by introducing Colin Kaepernick as one of the faces of its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary ad campaign.

Now the memo, which was addressed to Parks and Recreation director Chad Pitfield, is making headlines itself for the apparent political motivation behind the ban.

“Effective immediately all purchases made by any booster club at any Kenner Recreation Facility for wearing apparel, shoes, athletic equipment, and/or any athletic product must be approved by the Director of Parks and Recreation, or his designee,” the memo reads. “Under no circumstances will any Nike product or any product with the Nike logo be purchased for use or delivery at any City of Kenner Recreation Facility.”

The City of Kenner has confirmed the authenticity of the memo but refused to comment on it, according to WGNO.

Kenner City Councilman Gregory Carroll has said he wants to meet with Zahn to discuss the memo.

Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback and outspoken social activist, began the #takeaknee protests during the playing of the National Anthem before NFL games.

President Trump declared that the protest was disrespectful to the American flag, leading to boycotts of NFL games and other protests last season.

Despite the controversial choice of Kaepernick for the new ad campaign, or perhaps because of it, Nike has reported a significant spike in online sales since the ads premiered.

However, none of those sales have apparently come from Kenner.