By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
After the recent controversy involving NFL players kneeling before the National Anthem at the beginning football games, long time NFL sponsor Papa John’s Pizza no longer displays the NFL Logo or indications of sponsorship on its official website.
While no reference as to the reasons given has been made readily publicly available, there exists the possibility the company might be having at least reservations with presently displaying a logo engendering increasing disfavor with large segments of its customer base.
Papa John’s once branded itself as the Official Pizza of the NFL.
I have been loosely following reactions to NFL sponsors in light of the recent controversy and how the backlash is affecting the NFL’s brand and image. Discovering that Papa John’s Pizza has for several years been in sponsorship with the NFL, I connected to the company’s website to see if the site continued the NFL’s promotion.
The site did not show an NFL partnership yet did indicate the company’s sponsorship of Visa with a promotion for “Visa Checkout” and another with Major League Baseball with their “Papa Slam” offer.
Using the web archiving service Wayback Machine via its database for papajohns.com a sampling of dates from late July to September 19th prominently displays the NFL logo and the words “Official pizza sponsor of the NFL”. Again, this is not present in today’s website version or those since last Wednesday when I began my inquiry.
Here are comparative images between the two timeframes:
I considered the possibility the omission of NFL references was a miscommunication or technical issue but I doubt this. Why would an official sponsor, who at significant cost and effort, remove a prominent sports sponsor from its official website during the league’s season? It is curious at least, especially given the money involved. In my opinion if the removal was intentional perhaps the relationship between the two chilled or the company might be hanging low until the controversy mostly subsides.
Turning to the social media website Twitter, references to the NFL recently received a strong rebuke through a hot flaming by users. One recent reference to the Denver Broncos by Papa John’s received sixty “likes” and 151 replies, nearly all of which were protests to the NFL partnership with Papa John’s or criticism of the NFL and its players.
If the absence of NFL logos and references to Papa John’s sponsorship is not something otherwise, it could be indicative of the current fallout among sponsors through an expensive breaking with the NFL. This certainly could plague the league if a chief revenue source continues to regard an association with the NFL as bad for business.
By Darren Smith
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
And even more good news on the failing left wing sports front. ESPN looks to be manning the lifeboats as subscriptions sink and it’s business model flounders. Now MNF looks off the table for them:
https://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-cant-afford-monday-night-football/
Papa Johns is one of the “rattled”NFL sponsors that has its sales dropping. Hence the omission:
http://www.nrn.com/sales-trends/papa-john-s-sales-sacked-nfl-ratings-plunge
No problem for me. I like my local guys better. Boycott ‘em all!
Very nice. I’m sure the NFL will miss the nickels of a few left-behind “good ole days” outcasts who don’t understand what generations of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect. Buh bye. I’m sure Nascar is still popular with your types, after all, they all look like real “Mericans, amIright?
Mark M – the NFL only wishes it was as popular as NASCAR, where, unlike soccer, all most all of the spectators are ‘Mericans. You probably don’t know this since you do not make enough to afford a ticket to a NASCAR event.
What a dope!
Papa John’s was our family pizza of choice, until the NFL anthem protests got out of hand. We stopped watching the games last year when this all started and this year we stopped purchasing anything affiliated with the NFL. If you have a problem with the flag you should conduct your business elsewhere. Bottom line.
I will not buy any products that sponsor the NFL.
I will not purchase merchandise that’s associated with the NFL. I value the American way of life & its values. The NFL doesn’t reflect those.
I love Papa-John’s pizza with an ice cold bud; but no longer! Unless Papa John’s & Budweiser pull their commercials from the NFL games it will be hamburgers, and hot dogs; along with an ice cold mug of tea from now on. Signed: Paul Cross of Orange Park, Fl
I’m with you. But, I hope you’ll make the burgers anything but McDonald’s. They still advertise on CNN.
Tom Thomas – have you heard the news about the Spam thefts in Hawaii? Evidently, it is so highly prized that you can trade it for drugs.
I love papa John but I love America more. I will take my business somewhere else. You can support those ignorant NFL players l will make sure that my entire family do business with papa Johns.
Correction my entire family take their somewhere else!!!
I will not buy any of your products has long has you soon see the NFL. I am a 27 year Army vet .I will do anything to boycott papa John’s, they said they have a right , we’ll I have a right to do the same . I’m going to get my VFW Post to start protesting in front of your business in my town. I hope it’s worth it for you
I am a papa john regular and am taking u off and out of my cell phone. The nfl doesnt deserve any respect as its owners and players r not very patriotic. How hard is it to honor your flag and national anthem. Thank God we have one to honor. I cannot believe more sponsors havent backed out of there relationships with the nfl because u r hurting your business for a bunch of losers.
Thank you for that much Papa Johns. We have given blood, limbs and lives for this flag and do not ask anything but respect. I have trouble believing that cost is to high for these millionaires.
Still boycotting the NFL and all of its sponsors . We usually order pizza and drink bud , but not this year . Instead of watching football , We’ve been going for hikes , playing basketball, playing Horseshoe’s , and having a BBQ , loving it ,