*By Max Godnick*
The man behind Colin Kaepernick's controversial decision to kneel during the National Anthem understands why some might take offense to Nike's 30th anniversary "Just Do It" ad campaign. But former NFL player and Army Special Forces vet Nate Boyer sees the gesture as a compromise that gives weight to Kaepernick's views and still honors service members.
"We came to this idea of taking a knee alongside his teammates instead of sitting on the bench isolated," Boyer said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar. "He thought that was very powerful, and he would do that for the men and women who fought and died for what that flag represents."
Nike's decision to tap Kaepernick as the face of its campaign has sparked passionate reactions across the political spectrum. [LeBron James](https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1037425215653982209) and [Serena Williams] (https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1036769320196616198) led a chorus of supporters who praised the move, while critics threatened a boycott, trashing the athletic giant's apparel and posting the evidence on social media.
Boyer said he doesn't take issue with Kaepernick's inclusion in the campaign, but he understands why some veterans are offended by the tagline, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."
"That can be hurtful to some people who truly believe that their brothers and sisters in arms who they laid to rest paid that ultimate sacrifice," he said.
Boyer and Kaepernick first met in 2016 after the quarterback began protesting racial injustice by sitting during the National Anthem. The former Green Beret published an [open letter](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000693173/article/nate-boyer-writes-open-letter-to-colin-kaepernick) in response to the football star, and the two eventually met in-person.
When Kaepernick [knelt for the first time](https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/09/nate-boyer-colin-kaepernick-you-can-do-more), Boyer stood alongside him and continues to support his mission.
And the movement the two started is still deeply relevant. A [clip](https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/beto-orourke-on-nfl-players-kneeling-during-the-national-anthem) of Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) voicing his support of the protests went viral with over 50 million views across all social platforms. In it, the Senate candidate said he "can think of nothing more American" than taking a knee to protest police brutality.
Boyer doesn't have trouble coming up with an alternative.
"I think there's nothing more American than serving your country," he said. "But that's my opinion."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/veteran-who-suggested-kaepernick-kneel-weighs-in-on-nike).
The golf superstar signed with TaylorMade back in 2017 but was out of the game that year due to a back surgery and a reckless driving incident. Since then, things have turned around for Woods. He's preparing to play in the British Open in just a few days and his "ball striking is terrific, his putting is great, and I think he’s in a great position right now to challenge,” says TaylorMade CEO David Abeles.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash
Russian Woman Charged With Election Meddling
Hawaii's 'Lava Bomb' Injures Tourists
Deadly Fire Near Yosemite National Park Doubles
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
*President Trump meets with Russian President Putin in Helsinki, Finland, days after the indictment of 12 Russian operatives for trying to disrupt the 2016 election.
*A federal judge blasts the HHS giving them one more week to reunite 2,000 families at the border after the administration missed the initial deadline.
*Protests erupted in Chicago over the weekend after a popular barber was shot and killed by the police.
*Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber won Wimbledon titles over the weekend. And France took home the World Cup.
Cheddar's Hope King gives us the details.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
*President Trump is in England preparing for a joint news conference with Theresa May. While the duo dined last night, The Sun newspaper published a sit-down interview with the president where he criticized May’s handling of Brexit. Trump warned trade deals with England could be nixed if Brexit isn’t handled properly.
*FBI agent Peter Strzok was removed from working on the Hillary Clinton email probe and the Trump-Russia investigation after text messages were discovered in which he criticized the president.
*Stormy Daniels made an encore appearance at the same strip club she was arrested at the night prior.
*A Kansas City water park will not reopen after a 10-year-old boy died on a water slide.
*Serena Williams beat Julia Görges of Germany yesterday to reach her 10th Wimbledon final.
Cheddar Big News's Jill Wagner gives us the details.
The Olympic gold medalist hosts “Wedding Cake Championship,” a new show on Food Network, with longtime friend and fellow figure skater Johnny Weir. While the new gig is worlds different from their athletic careers, there are still some similarities. “The competition part of it was fun,” Lipinski tells Cheddar.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* Confusion at the NATO summit after President Trump said allies will add billions of dollars to defense spending. But French president Emmanuel Macron rebuffed those claims.
* Stormy Daniels was arrested after an alleged misdemeanor at a Columbus, Ohio, strip club. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has also been working to reunite families at the southern border.
* The U.S. Senate voted yesterday on a non-binding resolution giving it a say on what tariffs are levied and against whom.
* New evidence prompted the Department of Justice reopened the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1955 in Money, Miss.
* John Schnatter, founder and former CEO of Papa John’s, has resigned his chairman role after a racially-charged comment on a conference call.
* Americans made it to both the men’s and women’s Wimbledon semifinals, the first time since 2009.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner tells us the latest.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
The NATO Summit got off to a heated start as President Trump already criticized member countries for not paying their fair share of defense spending.
The Trump administration also missed its promised deadline to reunite dozens of migrant families.
A natural gas leak in Sun Prairie, Wisc., turned deadly when an explosion erupted for several hours.
Brett Kavanaugh, the president's pick for the open Supreme Court seat, met on Capitol Hill with the vice president and senators yesterday.
The NFL Players Association is challenging the anti-kneeling policy, which requires players to remain in the locker room if they choose to protest the national anthem.
Hurricane Chris makes its way up the East Coast, but shouldn't make a major impact on land.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner gives us the details.
France kicked Belgium out of the championship tournament on Tuesday. Some of the team's success so far can be attributed to its coach, Didier Deschamps, who captained the 1998 title-winning team and can convey that experience to his players, says Jeffrey Marcus, publisher of The Banter.
After Croatia's long-fought match against Russia on Saturday, the team may not have the stamina to beat England this week. "Croatia's had to play two very long 120-minute games followed by penalty shootouts," says Mike Murphy, deputy editor at Quartz. "That'll work in England's favor."
With the Golden State Warriors signing its fifth All-Star, some wonder whether the league has forever changed. "I just miss the days when guys would compete against each other ... Now with the world we live in, there's so much pressure on these kids to win," Shaquille O'Neal told Cheddar.
