Current:Home > ScamsAnti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers makes a fool of himself mocking Travis Kelce as 'Mr. Pfizer' -Summit Capital Strategies
Anti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers makes a fool of himself mocking Travis Kelce as 'Mr. Pfizer'
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 17:44:16
Aaron Rodgers is a fool.
This isn't easy to say but it's been established for years now. When this week he called Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce "Mr. Pfizer" he was again dressing himself in a clown suit, with the floppy shoes and red nose, and yes, again, his words are potentially dangerous.
Rodgers joins a loud and equally foolish right-wing chorus that has attacked Kelce, and for once, those attacks have nothing to do with Taylor Swift. The attacks have been vicious and lacking in facts and they do something else. They portray Kelce as someone who is spreading death when he is actually doing something to help save lives.
Kelce and his mother, Donna, launched a new campaign with Pfizer, encouraging people to get their flu shot along with the latest COVID-19 vaccination. Yes, Kelce is likely being paid well by Pfizer, but encouraging people to stop the spread of a deadly disease is (checks notes) a good thing. Only a fool would believe it isn't. Or a legion of fools.
You may have missed some of the things that have been said about Kelce in recent days and they are staggeringly ignorant. It remains shocking that in the 21st century people behave this way but here we are.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
As Kelce's relationship with Swift has enthralled millions of people, his becoming an advocate for vaccines has caused him to also be a target for extremists.
“What will break his heart first: His new relationship with Taylor Swift or the COVID shot...They’re both in the business of breaking hearts," said Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk. He added: "I find it rather repulsive, to be perfectly honest, that a supposedly alpha male person like Travis Kelce is pushing a vaccine toward a demographic that doesn’t need it."
"I challenge Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, to show me the medical evidence why he, at the age of 33 physically fit, needs a Pfizer’s Covid vaccine shot," wrote Fox News contributor Leo Terrell. "Travis show me the medical evidence. Stop lying to the American people."
These are all lies of course.
Rodgers joined in on the buffoonery on The Pat McAfee Show. Saying that the Jets' 23-20 loss was a moral victory, Rodgers added: "...We hung with the champs and that our defense played well, and Pat (Mahomes) didn’t have a crazy game. And Mr. Pfizer—we kind of shut him down. He didn’t have his crazy impact game."
I've talked before about the transformation of Rodgers. I didn't know Rodgers well but we'd chat at his locker during training camp and there was never a trace of any of this. He always appeared smart and open minded. I genuinely liked him.
I still don't think Rodgers understands the power he wields. No, one individual isn't responsible for all of the misinformation. Even someone as popular as Rodgers. But there are people who look at Rodgers and believe he knows more than even the people who dedicate their lives to studying vaccines and infectious diseases. Rodgers appears smart on these topics and speaks with authority on them. It's ignorant authority but it's authority.
Read moreIt's dumb to blame Taylor Swift for Kansas City's struggles against the Jets
Dr. Peter Hotez, one of the world's experts on vaccinology, and vaccine misinformation, said it's unclear the impact one person can have when spouting misinformation. But he worries about something else.
"It's difficult to say, or ascribe, the negative impact to any single individual," Hotez told USA TODAY Sports. "In the case of high profile professional athletes, I worry that their strong anti-vaccine or anti-science viewpoints become the face of the franchise or the league. In the case of the NBA, I know they worked hard to overcome some strong views expressed by specific individuals. I don't know if the NFL has attempted to do the same."
This is why Rodgers' views are a problem. He is the face of the Jets and one of the faces of the league. The NFL, in fact, remains a target of misinformation goons.
Just minutes after Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field last season, extremists were attempting to link what happened to him being vaccinated for COVID.
“This is a tragic and all too familiar sight right now: Athletes dropping suddenly,” wrote Kirk on X at the time. His post was viewed millions of times.
“Everybody knows what happened to Damar Hamlin because it’s happened to too many athletes around the world since COVID vaccination was required in sports,” said former Newsmax correspondent Emerald Robinson. That tweet was also viewed millions of times.
These were lies, too. Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest caused by a blow to the chest he took during the game.
McAfee has served as a conduit for Rodgers' vaccine misinformation. There has rarely been any pushback. McAfee apparently doesn't see it as his place to correct Rodgers. If McAfee did, he'd likely lose access to Rodgers, who is notoriously thin skinned.
So here we are. One of the most popular athletes of our time, a Super Bowl winner, a former quarterback for a storied franchise, and a current quarterback playing in the most high profile market in the nation. Mocking someone who is asking people to get flu and COVID shots that could save lives.
This is where we are. It's all so foolish.
veryGood! (49456)
Related
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Trump could learn Monday how NY wants to collect $457M owed in his civil fraud case
- Milwaukee officers shoot, critically wound man when he fires at them during pursuit, police say
- Women's March Madness games today: Schedule, how to watch Monday's NCAA Tournament
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- What I'm watching in the NBA playoffs bracket as teams jockey for seeds
- Why Euphoria Season 3 Is Delayed Even Longer
- Why Euphoria Season 3 Is Delayed Even Longer
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends run for U.S. Senate
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna score goals as USMNT defeats Mexico for Nations League title
- Blizzard brewing in Northern Plains, Upper Midwest as spring storm targets region
- Spoilers! How that 'Frozen Empire' ending, post-credits scene tease 'Ghostbusters' future
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Milwaukee officers shoot, critically wound man when he fires at them during pursuit, police say
- Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden welcome second child, Cardinal: 'We are feeling so blessed'
- Spurs rookie sensation sidelined for at least one game with sprained ankle
Recommendation
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
UFC fighter disqualified for biting opponent, winner celebrates by getting tattoo
Nearly $2 billion is up for grabs as Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots soar
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Romance Is Heating Up With a Vacation in the Bahamas
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
1886 shipwreck found in Lake Michigan by explorers using newspaper clippings as clues: Bad things happen in threes
Death of Missouri student Riley Strain appears accidental, police in Tennessee say
Aruba Embraces the Rights of Nature and a Human Right to a Clean Environment