Nike - ends sponsorship over boxer affirming traditional marriage
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| Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Nike, one of the world’s largest sellers of sporting goods, is
ending its sponsorship of Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao for condemning
same sex “marriage.”
“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” stated the
company. “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.” The company paid him $1
million yearly for his endorsement, according to Total Sportek. Pacquiao’s
career earnings are reported to top $300 million.
Pacquiao, 37, a winner of world championships in eight weight
classifications, was asked by a Manila TV station as he trained for a US fight
next year what he thought of same sex “marriage.” “It’s common sense,” the
boxer responded. “Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is
to female? The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from
female. If we approve male on male, female on female then man is worse than
animals.”
Celebrities such as basketball great Magic Johnson and the
boxer’s own promoter, Bob Arum, have lined up to condemn Pacquiao, before and
after he issued an apology. The boxer said, “I'm sorry for hurting people
by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I've hurt. I
still stand on my belief that I'm against same-sex marriage because of what the
Bible says, but I'm not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the
Lord. God Bless you all and I'm praying for you.”
Web gossip columnist Perez Hilton (actually Mario Armando
Lavandeira, Jr.) commented, “Manny’s apology isn’t any better than his initial
comments,” which drew the Jesuit-schooled blogger’s ultimate “double ugh”
putdown. Perez also called the boxer a “devout Catholic,” though he famously
and controversially converted to Pentecostalism several years ago.
Already the media-savvy homosexual lobby is working on
Pacquioa’s other sponsors, agitating for a boycott. The NewCivilRightsMovement
website is reporting that a Manhattan LGBT activist and graphic designer, Scott
Wooledge, has put out a graphic featuring the boxer beside sponsors’ logos. “I
am DONE eating ‘Wonderful Pistachios’ until @getcrackin takes
hateful #Mannypaquiao is off my TV screen. #LGBT,”
he tweeted yesterday.
Meanwhile, a Washington news source, the Free Beacon, went after
Nevada Senator Harry Reid, noting that he “remains mum” on the boxer to whom
the politician once gave a day-long tour of Washington, D.C.
In the Philippines
the few celebrities who condemned Pacquiao, such as TV personality Manny
Padillo and homosexual entertainer Vice Gandi, have publicly forgiven him,
perhaps because of the overwhelming flood of support from Filipinos manifested
on his Facebook page and other social media. Many said that if Nike dropped
Manny Pacquioa, they were boycotting Nike
