Athletes Dropped By Nike

These days, Manny Pacquiao probably puts more of a premium on public polling than endorsement deals; he's a politician in his native Philippines, where he competed in the presidential election of 2021 and finished a six-year term in the Senate in 2022 (per Britannica). But for decades, the Pac-Man, as he was nicknamed, was the talk of the boxing world, setting records with his title victories in more weight classes than anyone before. That kind of performance made him a boon to sports brands, and his endorsement deal with Nike included his own logo.

Pacquiao was wearing that logo when he issued a public apology in 2016 (via ESPN). The apology was for homophobic remarks, in which he claimed that same-sex couples were "worse than animals." Even in his apology, he maintained his opposition to same-sex marriage. Nike ended their eight-year association with Pacquiao, logo and all, and issued a statement repudiating the boxer by name. "Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind," they added, "and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community."

2016 was also the year that Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing, a decision he would later rescind until 2021. 2016 was also when Pacquiao won his election to the Philippine Senate; his bad luck with sponsors, and his prejudiced remarks, didn't halt his political ambitions.