Advertisement

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey celebrates Nike days after deriding company over flag flap

Last week, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey spotted a prime opportunity to rile up his base.

The Republican head of state and ally of President Donald Trump derided Nike for bowing “to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism” for its decision to recall patriotic sneakers featuring a colonial-era flag that has recently been co-opted by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

The recall was reportedly made under pressure from spokesman and classic Trump target Colin Kaepernick.

Ducey vowed to pull state incentives for a new Nike plant in Goodyear, Arizona as part of nine-tweet rant claiming “we don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.”

Ducey’s about-face

Two days later, Ducey was spotted at a July 4 barbecue wearing Nikes.

On Thursday he welcomed the company with open arms after confirmation from the state’s commerce authority that Nike would build the Goodyear plant.

So, about that outrage

Maybe the July 4 decision to wear Nikes wasn’t so much a decision as it was a product of habit of slipping on a pair of casual, comfortable shoes to attend an outdoor party.

It would be a reasonable, it not entirely plausible explanation for the antithetical apparel choice.

Maybe Doug Ducey wasn’t all that mad at Nike to to begin with. (Retuers)
Maybe Doug Ducey wasn’t all that mad at Nike to to begin with. (Retuers)

Was Ducey really mad?

But this tweet on Thursday. There’s no way around that. Ducey’s message was a conscious, clear, active decision to welcome the company he so virulently lashed out at just days ago.

It was made without any context or mention of his prior outrage.

It makes one wonder.

Maybe Ducey wasn’t all that mad at Nike to to begin with.

Maybe he just wanted to look like he was.

More from Yahoo Sports: