Silke Jasso
Papa John’s took a stand, not a knee, and now it’s ducking for cover after being branded the pizza of Nazis.
Videos by Rare
The white nationalist website The Daily Stormer saluted the pizza maker Thursday after “Papa” John Schnatter laid the blame for his company’s tanking sales on the national anthem protests plaguing the NFL.
RELATED: Papa John’s pulling some advertising associated with the NFL
“The NFL has hurt us,” Schnatter said, according to ESPN. “We are disappointed the NFL and its leadership did not resolve this.” Papa John’s sales fell about 10 percent Wednesday, CBS Market watch reported.
It should have been a noble moment, with Papa John’s taking the side of NFL fans outraged at players protesting during the national anthem. The company, one of the NFL’s major sponsors, even pulled some advertising.
Then came the taunts.
Papa John's owner blames poor sales on NFL player protest. With his pizza he should b used 2 people on their knees clutching their hearts.
— Elayne Let Everyone Vote Boosler (@ElayneBoosler) November 4, 2017
“Papa John’s owner blames poor sales on NFL player protest,” comedian Elayne Boosler tweeted. “With his pizza he should b used 2 people on their knees clutching their hearts.”
Sports fans didn’t approve, either. Writer Gene Debby witnessed fans boo free Papa John’s during a timeout at a Wizards game.
Here watching Lebron give the Wizards that work and they gave out free Papa John’s during the timeout. There were lusty boos from the crowd.
— Rap Game Vader Johan. (@GeeDee215) November 4, 2017
Pizza Hut weighed in. “We’re not seeing impact on any of that on our business,” said Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed. DiGiorno threw down in a Twitter spat.
Us: ??
Them: ??— DiGiorno (@DiGiorno) November 1, 2017
Even Schnatter’s personal net worth took a hit. And then, came the alt-right endorsement.
“This might be the first time ever in modern history that a major institution is going to be completely destroyed explicitly because of public outrage over their anti-white agenda,” columnist Adrian Sol said. “The Negro fatigue caused by this whole NFL fiasco is reaching heights that even I didn’t fully expect.”
So Sol offered his support for the beleaguered CEO, as the Huffington Post details, “Papa John: Official pizza of the alt-right?”
Papa John’s head PR guy, Peter Collins, reacted in shock when the HuffPo told him. “We didn’t have any idea about it,” he said. “We condemn racism in all forms and any and all hate groups that support it. We do not want these individuals or groups to buy our pizza.”
Melisa Goh, Rare Managing Editor
