MUHAMMAD ALI is one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. Maybe the most famous athlete that ever lived. He was also someone who stood up for principles he believed in. Whether you liked it or not. He wasn't looking for anyone's permission. You know what else? Much of the media, boxing fans, politicians and others cast him as a pariah. He resisted the VIETNAM WAR draft. The NSA and FBI monitored his communications because of this. During that time he was a traitor to many. A racist black man who hated whites. None of that was true. He was dangerous to the establishment and to the status quo of professional sports. Few remember that now. They remember the glorious athlete with the sharp tongue. The hero, philanthropist, and humanitarian. The one presidents want to meet and call on. Last year at LA's UPFRONT SUMMIT, I walked up to COLIN KAEPERNICK and introduced myself. I wanted to remind him of that history. That sacrifice is never easy but if he sticks to his principles he won't regret it in the long run. Yesterday, he found himself in the thick of support and boycott yet again. NIKE followed its longstanding playbook of endorsing iconoclasts and mavericks like JOHN MCENROE and CHARLES BARKLEY. Colin is the face of Nike's new campaign honoring the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” mantra. And given where we are in AMERICA, this may be the company's most controversial one yet. TWITTER is on fire with boycotts and protests. Furious with the idea that Nike picked a side. Spewing that Colin uses race to save a failed career. Pictures of people burning their Nike gear. It's also on fire with support. Some for his cause. Some that don't agree with his cause but agree with his right. I don't want to think that Nike picked a side. It chose to promote someone taking a stand for what he thinks is right. And it thinks that's good business. We are free to debate that issue. But celebrating him isn't binary. You can support Kaepernick’s cause while still -- like him -- supporting your country, your country’s military, and your country’s flag. Should it be possible to separate this campaign from the idea of taking sides? Everybody is so quick to take sides on anything and everything these days. Everything has to be left or right? Blue or red? Why can’t it just be a campaign about a sneaker and a citizen-athlete? Then again, some say, of course, Nike is taking sides. Is it possible to not take sides in 2018? Not with a topic like this. Not when the weakminded leader of the free world has turned the topic into an America vs. America crusade. Even if it doesn’t want to take sides, it has to know that of course, it is. Right? But you know what? That’s not Nike's f***ing fault. Colin K is now a larger-than-life figure just like those "Just Do Its" who came before. In a different way. Why can’t a shoe company celebrate that? Is it even possible to find a nonpartisan endorser of any product anymore? Well, maybe. There’s one great nonpartisan endorser: MIKE TROUT. He has a Nike deal. And despite being possibly the greatest baseball player alive, he's gone out of his way to avoid being a public figure. To avoid being a celebrity. And, therefore, maybe not Nike's best spokesman. So what the hell is a sneaker company to do? Is it possible to attach yourself to Colin Kaepernick without attaching yourself to the divisive issue he represents? Should it be possible? Was it ever possible? Organized and professional sports have always been saddled with substantial race issues. That's a fact. Not the actual play, but everything around it. And what about debate? I can tell you from what I've seen and experienced. No one wants to debate really. They came in with their stance. I reached out to an old friend on FACEBOOK who I haven't seen since high school. He's boycotting Nike now. I asked if he would like to go for a drink and we can debate it. What did I get back? To paraphrase: "No thanks, I'm good." That's America now. That's the attitude we should boycott... Happy Birthday to TYESH HARRIS, ANIL DASH, JEN BEKMAN, RICHARD GAY, JOSH NORMAND, EUGENIE NIVEN GOODMAN, BRUCE CHIZEN, BARBARA HALEY, ADRIAN SEXTON, and JEFF SHULTZ.