Nike terminates contract with boxer over gay 'marriage' comments

Nike announced that it is terminating its sponsorship contract with Filipino boxing superstar Many Pacquiao because of remarks he made opposing same-sex “marriage.”

The 37-year-old evangelical Christian was asked by a Manila television station about his beliefs on same-sex marriage during his training for a Las Vegas bout next year against Timothy Bradley on April 9.

“It’s common sense,” the winner of world championships in eight weight classifications replied. “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.”

Nike, perhaps the world’s largest producer of sports gear, was quick to rebuke the boxing great’s comments.

“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” Nike announced in a statement, according to LifeSiteNews. “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.”

The progressive-minded multi-billion-dollar company, which regularly promotes the homosexual agenda, followed up by publicizing the end of its sponsorship of Pacquiao over his comments.

“We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao,” Nike said in a public statement, canceling its contract that paid him $1 million per year to endorse its products.

Pacquiao, who has more than $300 million in career earnings, apologized for offending anyone with his comments on same-sex marriage.

“I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals,” the Catholic-turned-Pentecostal expressed in a public apology. “Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt.”

At the same time, Pacquiao reaffirmed his biblical beliefs about marriage as only being between one man and one woman, following up with the comment below:

“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,” the Christian sports icon reaffirmed. “I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I’m praying for you.”

More backlash

Pacquiao, with a professional boxing career record of 57─6 (and two draws), has received much heat for his stance on homosexual behavior, despite his apology.

Even the boxer’s own promoter, Bob Arum, joined in the condemnation of the besieged athlete, saying that as an evangelical Christian, Pacquiao believes homosexuality is wrong and that he was trying to win votes against same-sex marriage in the Philippines, where the issue will be decided at the polls.

“What he said is completely for home consumption for Filipinos wrestling with the question of legalizing same-sex marriage,” Arum told the Associated Press. “Instead of promoting a fight with a fighter I’m promoting a fight with a politician. It’s like if Donald Trump was a boxer and I was promoting Donald Trump when he was running for president. I would be killed by the media for all the stupid statements he is making.”

Former Laker Point Guard Earvin Magic Johnson attacked Pacquiao for expressing his deeply held religious beliefs on the issue of homosexuality as he applauded Nike for ending his endorsement contract.

“[I won’t] be watching another one of Manny Pacquiao’s fights,” Johnson informed his followers on Twitter in his first post on the matter on Thursday. “[F]ans of all walks of life including gay fans supported May/Pac fight putting $100M in his pocket … I guess to him their money is still green. Fans of all walks of life including gay fans supported May/Pac fight putting $100M in his pocket. I guess to him their money is still green.”

After Pacquiao’s public apology, Web gossip columnist Perez Hilton — whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. — said the boxer’s attempt at reconciliation wasn’t enough.

“Manny’s apology isn’t any better than his initial comments,” Hilton contended while targeting Pacquiao with his ultimate “double ugh” putdown — calling him a “devout Catholic” even though he converted to Pentecostalism several years ago in the predominantly Catholic Philippines.

The homosexual agenda was quick to mobilize against Pacquiao, making him a poster boy for hate and intolerance in order to promote the LGBT lifestyle.

“Already the media-savvy homosexual lobby is working on Pacquioa’s other sponsors, agitating for a boycott,” LifeSiteNews reports. “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.”

Wooledge forwarded the LGBT’s efforts to capitalize on the besieged boxer’s comments by tweeting a statement urging Americans to put the pressure on other products that Pacquaio endorses.

“I am DONE eating ‘Wonderful Pistachios’ until @getcrackin takes hateful #Mannypaquiao is off my TV screen. #LGBT,” the homosexual activist posted on Twitter.

The media also jumped on board to make an example of the Christian boxer, to show what happens to public figures who dare to oppose the homosexual agenda.

A major news hub based in Washington, D.C., the Free Beacon, put pressure on Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to speak out against Pacquaio. It is targeting Reid because he “remains mum” about Pacquaio comments over the same-sex marriage issue, arguing that the senator needs to speak out because he previously gave the boxing champion a day-long tour of the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile, in his native country, the celebrated boxer is receiving mixed reactions.

“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,” informed LifeSiteNews’ Steve Weatherbe. “Many said that if Nike dropped Manny Pacquioa, they were boycotting Nike.”

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