Here is the
smart way to answer the NFL controversy from a sponsor's point of view. Smart people work at these companies.
Ford told customers that they “respect individuals’ rights to express their views, even if they are not ones we share. That’s part of what makes America great.”
For its part, sports apparel giant Under Armour said it “stands for the flag and by our athletes for free speech, expression, and a unified America.”
Hyundai, for instance, said “We stand for and respect individuals’ freedoms to express their First Amendment rights in any peaceful manner in which they choose. We also stand for inclusion, freedom and all that represents those values.”
If you are responsible for the public message of one of these companies, you cannot
not have a position, because you're going to be asked. The trick is to come up with a position that is neutral, saying something along the lines of "we respect and understand both points of views". That's how professionals respond.
Personally, I find myself on the side of those finding these athletes juvenile and disrespectful, but I would never make a public statement at my company stating this, even though my industry is overwhelmingly in support of my view. There's just no upside.
Idiots like Nine Ender and Tony don't understand that because they cannot overlook their personal views for the benefit of the organization they would be working for. It's about "me" not "us" with those two. That's how rabid they are.