Posted in: NFL, Opinion, Sports, TV, TV | Tagged: Aaron Rodgers, espn, opinion, pat mcafee, ryan clark

ESPN: Aaron Rodgers Should Talk Jets Record, Not Vax Records: Clark

ESPN's Ryan Clark responded to 4-and-10 New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers' comments on The Pat McAfee show in a video posted on social media.

The raging dumpster fire that is the "brofest" between ESPN & WWE's Pat McAfee and New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers has been burning brighter than usual lately, and it's dragging the sports network into it in ways that we're sure "The Mouse" would rather not have to potentially deal with. The 4-and-10 quarterback went on McAfee's ESPN show – which he frequents regularly to reportedly offer his expert advice on the game – to call out television commentators and analysts for criticizing a game he claims they know nothing about.

"I'm talking about these experts on TV who nobody remembers what they did in their career. So, in order for them to stay relevant, they have to make comments that keep them in the conversation. That wasn't going on in 2008, 2009. The [ESPN] 'SportsCenter' of my youth, those guys made highlights so much fun. And that's what they showed on 'SportsCenter,'" Rodgers argued. "Now, it's all talk shows and people whose opinions are so important now, and they believe they're the celebrities now, they're the stars for just being able to talk about sports or give a take about sports, many of which are unfounded or asinine, as we all know. But that's the environment we're in now," he added.

Well, if you had a chance to check out social media after those comments hit, then you know they were about as well received as you would expect from those he collectively insulted. Former NFL player and current ESPN analyst/commentator Ryan Clark took things a step further, calling out Rodgers for his hypocrisy. "The reason you're getting the opportunity to say these asinine things is because someone is paying you— exactly like the people you're calling out," Clark countered. "This dude is a fraud. He's been a fraud. He acts like he's above everybody and everything," he added, making it clear where he stood with Rodgers.

Well, the latest chapter went down during Tuesday's edition of McAfee's show, with Rodgers suddenly bringing his position on vaccinations into play, claiming that the attacks on him are just another effort by "Big Pharma" to silence what he claims is the truth and that folks should have to reveal their vaccination "resume" before commenting. Seriously. "Say whatever the fuck you want about me, I don't care. But just before you do it, whether you state your name, your accolades, pronouns, whatever it is, just state your vax status so that anything you say afterward gets put in the right light. Just get it out there," Rodgers said. "Because then when you say things about me, people can at least be like, 'Oh, you are captured by the multibillion-dollar propaganda Skyhawk, and you're still upset about it." At one point, Rodgers dropped a line that was seen as a ten-ton reference to Clark's previous comments: "You don't just need a brooch with your initials. Put your vax status on there, too."

A day later, Clark took to social media and posted a response video (with huge thanks to Awful Announcing for serving as a second to our transcribing):

"Here is why I called Aaron Rodgers – or why I called you – a hypocrite. You're actually on ESPN talking about my fellow colleagues and the people I work with saying that now because they are former players and weren't as great of players as you were…they feel like they're the stars. And that's not it. TV has changed. It's more about opinion and the informed opinion of people that have played the game. What's hypocritical about what you said is you said it while on TV with Pat McAfee, who has done an amazing job with his platform. And even though he was an All-Pro punter, he is now extremely famous and more well-known for what he does in his post-career," Clark said at one point, breaking down why Rodgers was in no position to attempt to take some media moral high ground.

Clark continued, "Even more hypocritical of you that you're sitting across from three people who have never played the game. And they are also entitled to talk about football in a very informed way because — if we've learned anything from Mina Kimes — you don't actually have to step on the field to be excellent at the job of analyzing football. And I spoke to that hypocrisy because you were getting paid to do that, which Pat said you deserved to. And that is why you received money that you did, at least initially, because of what you brought to his platform."

From there, Clark lists his accomplishments on and off the field before sharing that he is vaccinated and explaining that his health history is the reason why. In terms of the quarterback's views on vaccinations, Clark points out that Rodgers is the one who continues to bring it up and make it a topic of discussion – and that the main reason why it was ever an issue was due to the questionable manner in which Rodgers addressed it with fans and the media.

"But let me be very, very clear. My job is to analyze you [Aaron Rodgers]. You've decided to analyze me. And in analyzing you, what I know is your QBR is 21st. I also know that you're the quarterback of a 4-10 team that has to win the last three games of the season to even be equal to what last year's team was without you," Clark noted, shifting the focus back onto where Clark believes it should be – Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets – while making it clear that he's going to keep doing his job. "Now, I get it. You get on the show, and you talk about my broach, and you curse and all this tough talk. I just need you to know – none of that scares me. I'm gonna do my job the way I'm supposed to do it. I feel no way about being able to talk about what the film says because of what my career was. And if you continue to be arrogant, or smug, or hypocritical, and it pertains to my job, I'm going to do it," Clark said.

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