I am a black man and I’m tired of having to explain my existence. This blog post is here because it’s an attempt by me to show the world how hard it really is for us as minorities in America, but also how we can find joy even in our difficult times.
The so-called “woke mob” is on the rise, using social media to spread outrage and call for justice. But what happens when people decide they are being oppressed but their ideas aren’t actually all that new?
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, is giving his side of the tale. Whether or whether this helps clean the air around him depends on how you perceive his words. He has a lot of them and isn’t scared to share them.
Rodgers, who is embroiled in a media frenzy over a positive COVID-19 test he obtained earlier this week and the subsequent revelation of his unvaccinated status despite claiming to be “immunized” in August, is also defensive. That is ultimately his choice, but crying about being misunderstood for a person who has been the face of one of the most popular organizations in professional sports, much alone the NFL, is a bit of a terrible look.
The “woke mob,” according to Rodgers, is out to get him. On his latest visit on The Pat McAfee Show, he said as much.
Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers believes the ‘woke mob’ is hunting him.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 28: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 reacts during an NFL game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on October 28, 2021. The Packers won 24-21 over the Cardinals. Getty Images/Christian Petersen
For a long time, Rodgers has been a frequent guest on McAfee’s podcast. Because of the quarterback’s laid-back personality and propensity to have open and honest chats, his “Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays” segments have grown popular.
McAfee called him back this week for a second time to share his side of the story about his positive test and the fact that he’ll miss the Chiefs’ game this weekend. It was most likely meant to be a moment for Rodgers to defuse the situation. Instead, he spent time blaming “cancel culture” and the NFL media for his misinterpretation.
“I understand I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now,” he said in his opening speech, “so before the last nail is driven into my cancel-culture coffin, I believe I’d want to set the record straight on so many of the obvious falsehoods that are out there about me right now.”
“First and foremost, I did not lie at the original news conference,” he said. “A witch hunt was going on throughout the league at the time, and everyone in the media was so worried about who was vaccinated and who wasn’t, and what it signified, and who was being selfish, and who would speak about it. What it meant if they stated it was a personal choice and that they shouldn’t have to provide their own medical information or anything like that.”
Rodgers was questioned about his immunization status by the media in August. The four things he spoke appeared innocuous at the time, but they’ve since become renowned.
“I’ve been vaccinated,” she says.
Rodgers claims he is neither a “anti-vaxxer” or a “flat-earther.”
Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers looks on during preseason warmups at Lambeau Field against the Houston Texans | Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Green Bay quarterback had not been immunized to the letter of the NFL rule at the time of the news conference. Despite the fact that he had not gotten one of the three licensed vaccinations (Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson), he believed he was protected against the coronavirus due to a homeopathic therapy he had received.
Even Rodgers’ admirers must accept that his press conference response was misleading, but Rodgers does not see it that way.
He told McAfee, “It wasn’t some kind of trick or falsehood; it was the reality.”
The quarterback blamed the misunderstanding on a lack of follow-up from the media, but it’s worth remembering that his vaccine statement had more context, which he provided himself. During the August news conference, he expanded on his own response and used the phrase “vaccinated” many times.
“I suppose I prefer learning about whatever I do, and there was a lot of research that went into it.” But, like I said, there have been positive tests, and I believe it’s solely vaccinated folks here,” Rodgers said at the time, according to ESPN. “It’ll be intriguing to observe how things go in the future.” Obviously, there may be some concerns if vaccinated individuals only tested every few of weeks, while non-vaccinated people tested every day.”
During McAfee’s interview on Friday, the quarterback launched into a lengthy rant in which he attempted to clarify what he would have replied if a follow-up question had been asked. Even his line of reasoning is a little deceptive.
“‘Look, I’m not some kind of anti-vax, flat-earther,’ I would have said. I consider myself to be a critical thinker. You all know who I am; I march to the beat of my own drum.’
Rodgers then took another blow at what he plainly believes is a biased groupthink that has been working against him.
He said, “I passionately believe in bodily autonomy and the opportunity to make decisions for your body.” “Not having to comply with some awakened culture or mad bunch of people that tell you you have to do something.” For everyone, health is not a one-size-fits-all situation.
Rodgers slammed the NFL’s coronavirus safety measures.
November 5, 2021 — Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein)
The fact that Rodgers, a long-time NFL quarterback, took a jab at the league is perhaps the most stunning aspect of his interview with McAfee.
He obviously wanted to make it clear that his choice to seek alternative therapy was based on his own research, not because he was a “anti-vaxer.” It’s worth noting that Rodgers is a professional quarterback, not a scientist, but that didn’t appear to deter him from believing in his own studies.
“I spent a lot of time throughout the offseason studying.” Much like the hours of preparation I put into hosting Jeopardy! or the hours of preparation I put into playing the game on a weekly basis. “Before making a choice, I put in a lot of time and study and talked with a lot of different professionals in the medical industry to acquire as much information as possible about the vaccinations,” he added.
Rodgers said that because to a sensitivity to a component in mRNA immunizations, he could only have the Johnson & Johnson injection if he wanted any vaccination at all. He chose against the J&J injection since he knew “many folks who had terrible side effects.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported the rarity of different adverse responses to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, stating that “side effects were prevalent within 7 days after becoming vaccinated and were mainly moderate” in clinical studies.
In his eyes, the only alternative was to follow an immunization routine, which he believed was the best way for him and his colleagues to be protected. Although the NFL was aware of his treatment procedure, it refused to accept his plea to recognize his immunization status.
Rodgers was irritated by this, and it’s clear that he saw the NFL’s attitude as just another example of “woke” culture.
“If you weren’t vaccinated, you were put into a distinct group with certain harsh procedures and rules that you had to follow,” Rodgers said. “Which, in my view, were more founded on a shame-driven climate to try to get as many people vaccinated as possible so that the league appears better to the rest of the world than on science.” These procedures were designed with it in mind.”
As an unvaccinated athlete, Rodgers was required to follow a number of precautions, which he did. This includes the fact that, owing to his positive test, he must be confined for at least 10 days. He admitted to experiencing some symptoms earlier in the week, but said he was feeling “very fantastic” when he was interviewed.
The efforts the league has required unvaccinated players to take, according to Rodgers, constitute to “propaganda.” He also remarked that he feels the media has it out for individuals who have not been vaccinated.
“The media has been attempting to accomplish just that.” He added that “they are attempting to humiliate and cancel all of us non-vaccinated individuals by accusing us of being greedy.”
Rodgers intended to tell his side of the tale, and he did so. Rather of repairing the damage, the quarterback may have alienated a large portion of the people, including his own supporters.
“Over 423 million doses of COVID-19 vaccination were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, to November 1, 2021,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccines against COVID-19 are both safe and efficacious.”
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