Packers star Aaron Rodgers admits to taking Ivermectin, compares himself to MLK in wild tantrum
UPDATE: A previous version of this article was entitled “Packers star Aaron Rodgers admits to eating horse paste, compares himself to MLK in wild tantrum.” This has been revised to say “Packers star Aaron Rodgers admits to taking Ivermectin, compares himself to MLK in wild tantrum” for accuracy.
The freedom with which misinformation spreads in American society is downright terrifying at this stage. Right-wing lies about vaccines and COVID-19 have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and seriously undermined the nation’s faith in science at a time when we need to trust science the most, whether it comes to disease prevention or climate change.
It really doesn’t help when America’s most prominent figures publicly endorse misinformation and inevitably choose to have some kind of spectacular public meltdown where they lash out against the “woke mob” for shaming them for not getting vaccinated and against their employers for punishing them for their stupidity.
The latest celebrity to do so is NFL star quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, who caused a stir around the league this week when he contracted COVID and was discovered to have misled league officials about his vaccination status. It turns out that he told them he was “immunized” — not vaccinated — and instead had been taking homeopathic treatments to “raise his antibody levels.”
The league and NFLPA officials did not agree that this was sufficient protection, and Rodgers will be forced to quarantine for ten days and produce a negative test before being able to return to the field. The league is also considering disciplinary action against him for violating mask protocols for unvaccinated players.
In response, Aaron Rodgers went on the Pat McAffee show on Friday afternoon and threw an outrageous tantrum in which he compared himself to Martin Luther King, complained that he was a victim of the “woke mob,” admitted he was taking medical advice from whackjob podcaster Joe Rogan, and has been eating Ivermectin horse paste to treat his COVID-19 case.
Rodgers says he's in the "crosshairs of the woke mob" and references cancel culture.
"I didn't lie in the initial press conference."
Says there was a "witch hunt" going on across the league about vaccination status.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 5, 2021
Rodgers says he appealed the decision of the NFL/NFLPA rejecting his unvaccinated status. Says he gathered over 500 pages of research on the efficacy of vaccines.
"My desire to immunize myself is what was best for my body."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 5, 2021
Rodgers: "I have followed every single protocol to a T, except that one that makes absolutely no sense to me."
That one he's referencing is the rule that he has to wear a mask at indoor press conferences. Mentions how all reporters are vaccinated and masked.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 5, 2021
Rodgers said he consulted with Joe Rogan and has been doing a lot of stuff that he talked about on his podcast.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 5, 2021
Rodgers said the league sent in a "stooge" before the season to "shame" the Packers for being 19th in the league in vaccination rate.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 5, 2021
HE JUST SAID HE'S BEEN TAKING IVERMECTIN
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 5, 2021
"Why do people hate Ivermectin? Not just because Trump championed it, but because it's a cheap generic, and you can't make any money off of it"
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 5, 2021
While a rich and famous man who is already notorious for being a narcissistic diva becoming obsessively defiant over workplace safety regulations and falling into hokum medical practices isn’t the most surprising thing in the world, it cannot be understated how damaging this is. The Green Bay Packers are one of the most popular franchises in the country with millions of fans. For their star quarterback to be spouting this kind of nonsense and implicitly encouraging everyone else to “do their own research” and “be free thinkers” and “eat horse paste” is a clear and present threat to public health, and it shouldn’t be hand-waved aside as just another dumb jock refusing to do his homework.
Watch the whole thing here
To sum up his surreal appearance on @PatMcAfeeShow, #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said he hopes for a “conversation, not a controversy.” Adds, “I’m very excited for Jordan (Love). It’s going to be very strange to watch a game without being there.” Much more: https://t.co/m7hI6u9v8V
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2021
