IT’S been a while. Not because I haven’t had anything to talk about, quite the opposite.

But with so much going on, it felt best to take my time and see how everything developed.

The last thing I wanted to do was jump to conclusions or write something I would have to retract days later.

It seems I wouldn’t have had that problem.

To anyone that follows me on social media, mainly Twitter, you would have noticed me commenting on ignorant and racist US citizens who had lost their head over the Nike Colin Kaepernick campaign.

For those that haven’t the ad, it was a close-up of Kaepernick’s face with the statement, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

The company double-downed with a full television advert which was aired during the opening night of the football season.

The ad has an unseen narrator, who turns out to be Kaepernick, talking about dreams, goals and striving to do more than you ever thought possible.

For example, it shows Serena Williams and Kaepernick says: “If you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player, become the greatest athlete ever.”

It’s a powerful message to send and people found it rage-inducing.

I found it quite cathartic to be honest. Seeing these people get so angry about a black man being endorsed by a clothing company was hilariously funny and deeply upsetting at the same time.

Nike has its problems — the sweat shops their products are made in are disgusting.

But where were the boycotts when that news came to light?

I will accept that it was a different time, before social media exploded and you didn’t know the opinion of every racist Tom, Dick and Harry.

But Nike continued to thrive, whole communities enjoyed their Starbucks while wearing the latest Air Force Ones, Blazers and Jordans.

All that changed when the trainer maker endorsed Kaepernick.

It was an extremely powerful message to send at a time when people were more outraged at him raising awareness of innocent, unarmed black people being killed by those paid to serve and protect than a racist bigot holding the highest position of power in the country.

People were livid with Nike, creating and releasing videos of them burning their Nike trainers.

One creative individual cut the Nike ticks off his socks as he was so angry.

But my favourite has to go to the man who burnt his trainers while he was wearing them and ended up in hospital.

That is a new-level of anger or passion to suffer third-degree burns just to deliver a simple message, I am upset with Nike.

Ignoring the fact that these people had already paid for their item of clothing and burning it was simply a waste of their own money, I repeatedly asked on their own social media accounts, if you are so patriotic and angry that Kaepernick was disrespecting US soldiers and veterans by kneeling during the United States national anthem, why not donate the trainers to a shelter or organisation that helps US veterans?

There are thousands, if not millions, of people in the US who could have used these trainers, T-shirts, coats, jumpers, you name it, and instead these foolish humans decide to set alight to them to prove a point.

Well all you proved is how stupid you are.

We are three weeks into the NFL season and the fact that Kaepernick is still not on a team or had a workout is more proof that something is not right.

I will happily sit down and debate whether he’s good enough to start for a franchise in 2018 and, if you believe he isn’t, that’s fine.

But to not even be a back-up? Come on. Who are you trying to fool?

And to go back to those burning their Nike products, did you burn your NFL jerseys?

All NFL apparel is made by Nike, which for me makes the partnership with Kaepernick even better.

Or what about their college football jerseys?

I highly doubt it. If I am wrong and they did and no longer go to NFL games, then well played for going all out.

If they made the switch to Adidas, Under Armour or even Puma, I hate to break the news to you, but they all pay athletes who stand in solidarity with the former San Francisco 49er or, even worse in their eyes, have voiced their displeasure with Donald Trump as president.

Steph Curry, who is sponsored by Under Armour, has skipped a White House visit for the simple fact Trump is in office.

Which reminds me, where was the Nike burning when LeBron James spoke out against Trump?

James wears Nike and has his own trainer brand with the company. He has protested against the killings of black men by police officers.

I didn’t see as many protesting voices.

I for one am getting behind Nike even more and, yes, I am fully aware about the sweatshops.

This partnership doesn’t erase that and never will. And I should do more to raise awareness of worker conditions in Nike factories.

But I can’t deny I feel proud to wear my Nike trainers or Miami Dolphins attire.

Perhaps these people just don’t want to associate themselves with a company which just made a black man the face of a global campaign.

Which strangely, as there’s no obvious segue to my next topic, brings me onto the representation of black athletes in 2018, mainly Paul Pogba and NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson.

It’s now become concerning — in truth it always was — how former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness continually belittles Pogba and criticises him after nearly every game, regardless of how he has played.

The latest swipe at the French midfielder came after Manchester United’s 3-0 victory over Young Boys on Wednesday night.

Pogba scored two goals and won man of the match, but it wasn’t enough for Souness.

He still went out of his way to question his passion for the sport and take an uneducated guess that Pogba doesn’t train.

Where has this hatred come from?

I don’t want to say it’s rooted in racism, but when Souness almost lets slip that Pogba played for “Africa” not France, you have to question the cause of all this.

Pogba is coming off a summer where he helped France win the World Cup, he scored in the final, and has started off the season with some stellar performances for United.

Souness was right in saying we need more consistency from the player, but why can’t he praise him when it’s deserved?

He said on Wednesday night that he needs to start showing leadership qualities. What does that mean?

Does he want him to stand in the middle of the pitch pointing at opposing players and barking out instructions to his teammates?

Or does he want him to go around making reckless and dangerous, even career-ending, tackles like Souness did when he donned the red of Liverpool?

Pogba plays with a smile on his face. Treats the game like he’s over the park with friends, trying tricks and flicks and just enjoying himself.

I’m sure this infuriates the Scot down to his core, but he needs to lighten up.

He played the game a certain way, not often the cleanest or safest, but I’m sure he felt it was best for himself and his team.

Let Pogba play this way and focus on becoming a better pundit.

As for Watson, he was unable to lead his Houston Texans team to victory during Week 2 of the NFL season and made a bad decision at the end of the game. It happens, we are all human and make mistakes.

For some reason, Onalaska Independent School District superintendent Lynn Redden thought it would be wise to open his mouth during an interview to say: “That may have been the most inept quarterback decision I've seen in the NFL. When you need precision decision making, you can't count on a black quarterback.”

I had to take a minute to stop and think about what I just heard. Did he really just say that?

Since Trump became president — and to be honest since the far-right across the world has mobilised to become bolder and more in your face over the last few years — such comments are no longer whispered in shadows between friends.

Redden and many others believe that being racist is just exercising their freedom of speech.

But it isn’t. Racism is racism.

That comment is 100 per cent racist but isn’t new.

There’s been an ongoing belief that the quarterback position in the NFL is for thinkers, for white people.

A position where you need brains and smarts as well as a strong arm. Black people have the strength but not the intelligence.

So black men are used as receivers, running backs, corner backs — positions where they can utilise their speed, their athleticism and leave the tough thinking to the white man.

Watson showed in his rookie season he was more than a runner, that he could use his head to beat opposing defenders and manipulate the field just by looking at areas of the field, tricking defenders into thinking he was going one way before delivering the ball the other.

Watson has been backed by his head coach, teammates and the more progressive thinkers in the media and on social media.

But like Kaepernick and Pogba, Watson will always find those stuck in the dark ages who want to simply see them fail for reasons that quite often have nothing to do with the on-field ability and talent.