CBS has rejected an ad from veteran owned company Nine Lives Apparel that promotes respecting the flag and reminds viewers that people like Colin Kaepernick can only protest because some are “crazy enough” to defend their right to do so.
CBS says they were concerned Nine Lines — a company with $25 million in annual revenue — couldn’t pay for the spot. The ad was narrated by a Benghazi survivor, U.S. Marine Mark Geist.
Nine Line Apparel CEO Tyler Merritt ripped the rejection of his ad.
“CBS’s purported reason for rejecting a Super Bowl commercial that extols patriotism is totally out of bounds,” he said. “Let’s call this what it is: a blatant attempt to censor a message that their politically correct executives find offensive. We urge Americans who believe it’s important to show respect for our flag and national anthem to join us in calling out this offensive bias. It’s time to give a penalty flag to CBS.”
The firm is overtly patriotic. Nine Line Apparel’s “About Us” page on its website reads: “Nine Line Apparel represents the grit and commitment of all Patriotic Americans. Founded on the principles similar to other value based organizations, Nine Line aims to promote the issues faced by all those who have served their country, on both foreign and domestic soil. Nine Line encourages a conversation between those who serve and those who support them.”
“Our goal is to bridge the gap between civilians and service members, whether they are military veterans, law enforcement, or first responders,” it continues. “At Nine Line, we know that only united can the American people fight injustice and preserve our freedom and independence. We aim to be a voice for the people, a channel through which patriotic Americans can make themselves heard.”
“For those who kneel, they fail to understand that they can kneel, that they can protest, that they can despise what I stand for, even hate the truth that I speak, but they can only do that because I am crazy enough,” Geist intones.
Geist is wasting his breath, of course. Those who support Kaepernick’s protest see any opposition as an attack on their right of free speech. How dare anyone question their tactics or the “justice” of their cause? The notion that free speech and other rights actually have to be defended never enters their heads.
That said, CBS may have minimum gross revenue requirements for Super Bowl ads that Nine Lines didn’t meet. But it was certainly a convenient excuse for CBS to refuse to run the ad.
Nine Lines features an entire page of apparel with their “Just Stand” theme. Perhaps as a show of support, you can find something you like and purchase it.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member