The Missing Piece
“I can be someone’s and still be my own.” — Shel Silverstein
The world of sports and politics rarely collide. That’s why I consider myself such a fan of sports. I can talk sports and follow sports without getting into a political quagmire. Aaron Rodgers entered the scene last week when it was discovered that he tested positive for COVID-19 and he hadn’t been vaccinated.
Back when the season began Rodgers said he had been “immunized” and the press at the time naturally assumed that meant vaccinated. I suppose it is a natural assumption to make. Instead he took Ivermectin and considered it good. Obviously, that didn’t work and he had to sit out a game his team likely would have won with him.
Naturally, we get into the weeds when we start talking about whether he overtly lied or whether he actually believed he was immunized. We can stay in the weeds and talk about the right to privacy as it pertains to medical decisions. Rodgers was certainly free to answer that question anyway he saw fit and we still don’t know how much the Packers knew and we don’t know if he followed protocols for unvaccinated players.
What we do know is that when asked a question about his status, he purposely gave a vague answer. Rodgers has since decried the whole situation and predictably he has lost at least one sponsor in the aftermath. Who knows if State Farm or other national brands will continue to go with him. Clearly, the vague answer was done to avoid a controversy at the time. Whether he lied or not is in the eye of the beholder.
However, the misdirection is telling. He clearly knew what he was doing and he clearly wanted to avoid responsibility. The line above from Shel Silverstein is unusually profound for a children’s author. The battle over vaccinations attempts to be simplistic, but things are never that simplistic. It isn’t as simple as doing what you want with your body. I know a lot of people wish it were that simple.
People used to understand that personal freedom also came with responsibility. When you made certain decisions people understood that they came with natural consequences. If you wanted to avoid childhood vaccinations for your child you understood that meant you’d be home schooling your children.
So, it isn’t so much that Rodgers wanted to take alternative medicines in favor of a vaccine. It’s that he knew the consequences of doing so and obviously wanted to avoid them. If you are smart enough to understand the consequences and understand that you would take a hit in public relations then you’re smart enough just to take the damn vaccine. Other athletes made the same choice and are currently not playing because of it. They at least are openly accepting the consequences of their decision.
The vaccination debate used to be a non-political debate. At least it used to run independent of left and right politics. In fact, the anti-vax crowd used to stereotypically land on the left. Somehow the party of personal responsibility has not only gone anti-vax, but also want to shirk personal responsibility. Shel Silverstein and those that read his books managed to grasp the concept that personal freedom also comes with responsibility. Rodgers still has a lot to learn.
Good article, but the name is Shel and not Shea Silverstein
1He certainly followed the Republican Rule Of Holes:
2When you find yourself in a hole, not only do they not stop digging, they break out the power equipment so they can dig deeper and faster.
Ever since the Old Pretender stood up and told everyone he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue with no consequences, his followers thought they could do the same in any situation. I think one of the reasons that GOPers are such unhappy and unhappy looking people is that they have no boundaries in their lives.
3“We live in a world in which a man who makes $33.5 million a year to throw a ball but who lied about getting a vaccination against a deadly disease that is highly transmissible now defines himself as a ‘victim’ because people have dared to critique him for lying about his being vaccinated.” — Lane Crothers
4Just a note, but Shel Silverstein wasn’t always a children’s book author. He was a cartoonist for Playboy magazine from 1957 to 1970, among other more adult accomplishments.
5A. Rodgers = A Jerk.
6“Unusually profound for a children’s author.”
Even though I agree with the basic sentiment of your piece— for shame that you denigrated children’s authors; who can be an incredibly profound lot.
Peace.
7@TTPT
8Along with being an accomplished songwriter and musician.
He wrote “A boy Named Sue” and a lot of Dr. Hook’s material.
Angela,
Of course they can. It was apparently a poor attempt at irony. Many of the most profound thoughts come from children or stories for children.
9Mike @8: and don’t forget he also wrote Tompall Glaser’s excellent pro-feminist anthem, “Put Another Log on the Fire” — can’t believe all the Texans on here missed that one.
10el lagarto @10: I’m one of them California transplants. I plead ignorance. I just watched several renditions of that song on YouTube, including an excellent one by the Muppets with Candice Bergen as the long suffering wife who finally rebels. Thanks!
11Aaron rodger’s story has evolved to make him out as honest (I say to cover his ass and keep sponsors on board). He new full well the press asked him straight out if he’d been vaccinated and he chose to play with words- in other words lie. Plain and simple. He’s now saying if anyone had asked him to explain what he meant, he would have told them (instead of just explaining at the time). I call that dishonest. Not until he’s tested positive for COVID does he try to explain. Oh and lost a big sponsor. He says he wasn’t vaccinated on his doctor’s advice but given other proven treatment to make him immune. Of course, he won’t explain that, and is saying a vaccinated person must have given it to him. And he still won’t say and do the right things- like recommending people get vaccinated during a time when parents should be getting their kids vaccinated. He should have apologized for possibly infecting others.
12He claims he’s in the “crosshairs of the woke mob.” OK, call me part of that. He thinks he’s a role model. I say he’s a bad one.
I hope Rodgers’ football career is over and done with. That’s what he deserves.
13I hate to point it out, but politics and sports have been intersecting for a very long time.
14Packer fan here.
15I’d like to withhold comment for about a week, to see whether anything at all positive comes out of this scrum. Like, will the opposing defense social distance 6 feet from Rodgers after the ball is hiked next Sunday?
I assume he has to test again so we’ll see if he’s playing against the Seahawks (my team). He brought all the negative stuff coming his way all by himself. Even Brett Fabre came out against him.
16I erred- it was Terry Bradshaw that came out against Rodgers dishonesty.
17has anyone mentioned the distinction in treatment between a quarterback violating NFL’s explicit expectations and announcements about COVID treatment and a quarterback violating … NFL hints about expectations involving kneeling before a game?
18Thanks for the info on Shel Silverstein’s background…I had no idea; our kids memorized bunches of his poems. AND I had never heard “Throw Another Log on the Fire”, so many thanks for that!
As for Rodgers….I’ve had no patience (for about the last 50 years) with whiny men who screw up, or harm others, and then cry ‘Victim!!’
192nd generation Packers fan. Loved Aaron til now. Sorry, dude. You blew it completely. The Pack should fire Rogers immediately. Then hire Kaepernick, a truly honest man.
20All I have to say, is Karen Rodgers, you just took a dump on your legacy, enjoy the taste of excrement.
21This from an article on Profootballtalk. This is ridiculous. He could play this weekend and still be Covid positive:
“Aaron Rodgers gets a 90-day break from COVID testing, “close contact” rules
Mike Florio
3 days ago
The good news, if there is any, for the Packers arising from the positive COVID test generated by quarterback Aaron Rodgers is that, for 90 days after his positive test, the previously secretly unvaccinated quarterback won’t have to be tested. That’s one of the aspects of the joint NFL-NFLPA COVID protocols about which the delicate genius surely won’t be complaining.”
The rule is he can play again without being tested if the GB team doctor says he can. This is crazeee
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