Athletes and others kneeling to support Colin Kaepernick can stand up proudly.

They won.

Kaepernick's kneeling protest during the national anthem caught the world's attention and he gained a level of power that exceeds anything that any other quarterback – active or otherwise – could reasonably have imagined.

"What non-believers do not understand," said Kaepernick, a new Nike ad that focuses on abstract ideals rather than sports achievements, "is that calling a" crazy "dream is not an insult. It's a compliment. "

Well-meaning and nuanced people heard him, even though he was silent.

So, people known to be blunt.

"The problem with Colin is, No. 1: he never talks about it. He let the president and all those people on the radio and on television change his message, "said Charles Barkley in a phone interview with The Republic of Arizona.

Barkley, perhaps more than anyone else, knows exactly what it could be to be at the center of the controversy over misinterpretations and a very bold Nike ad.

It's been 25 years since he said "I'm not a model".

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It was a black and white spot of 30 seconds. Watching it was like being hit in the face.

"I'm not a model," he said in the announcement. "I'm not paid to be a model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. It's not because I play basketball that I should raise your children.

Leading critics said that he was trying to shirk his responsibilities. This was never the case for Barkley.

He said that he had gone to Nike with the idea because he had seen too many young black boys who wanted to be NBA players. He wanted more of them to aspire to be professionals, perhaps engineers or doctors.

"I was really trying to start a conversation," he said.

People did not hear it.

"It was difficult back then," says Barkley, thinking back to 1993, "because you hear all those fools on TV talking about what you wanted to say, what you're trying to say. And the thing that made me go through it … The parents loved it.

He sees similarities in what is happening today.

"The parallel with Colin is that we have lost all perspective," he said.

Kaepernick did not speak publicly. An email and a phone call to his attorney, Mark Geragos, were not immediately returned. It is likely that his collusion against the NFL prevented him from speaking.

Kaepernick rather communicated by his actions and the sponsorship of Nike.

Kaepernick donated $ 1 million to charities, according to his website, kaepernick7.com. He gave money to kids in the city who want to play baseball. He placed formerly homeless mothers in apartments. He has donated to low-income men who need haircuts and costumes for job interviews.

He also launched the "Know Your Rights" camp by teaching children that they have the right to be free, healthy, bright, safe, loved, courageous, alive, trusted and educated.

They also talk about how to interact safely with police and police brutality.

And is not it what it is? Ensure black men are not killed by stealing cigars or selling loose cigarettes or napping in the park?

By choosing this fight, Kaepernick and those who support him have achieved a new level of economic and social power.

Victoria Jackson, professor at the University of Arizona, recently wrote a column Washington Post: Nike's sponsorship by Colin Kaepernick shows athletes have more power than they think.

In a phone interview Friday, Jackson said he read information that Nike's contract with Kaepernick included the shoe company "donating directly to Kaepernick's" Know Your Rights "camps. a substance behind that.

"I wanted to celebrate and celebrate," she said later.

Jackson said that Nike's relationship with Kaepernick shows that athletes can think of "sponsorship as a kind of more collaborative partnership … that you do not just take money and equipment and focus on training. If you are passionate about something, you can work with the company that sponsors you to create something really powerful. And companies will all be interested in doing so because they also have an integrated social impact in their missions. It's like everyone wins.

Already Kaepernick and those who support him are winning.

Legions of people have been activated. Newly empowered athletes can now direct their efforts, using the media to draw attention to social justice projects that need money, volunteers and visibility.

It's time to move if it's related to the flag or the army. This is not the case.

Well-meaning and nuanced people understand this.

So do people known to be blunt.

President Donald Trump, accused by Barkley and others of fomenting controversy over the last two years, said he disagreed with Nike and Kaepernick.

But he also said, "That's all this country has to say. You have the freedom to do things that other people think you should not do.

Everyone can now stand up proudly. There is work to do.

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Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @WritingMoore.