ESPN Under Fire After Aaron Rodgers Challenge Travis Kelce to Vaccine Debate on Network
ESPN is taking heat online for promoting New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers challenging Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to a vaccine debate.
During Rodgers’ weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last Tuesday, Rodgers jokingly referred to Kelce as “Mr. Pfizer” because of his ads promoting the flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Kelce responded to that harmless joke with one of his own, calling the feud between the two “Mr. Pfizer vs. The Johnson & Johnson family” due to the fact that the family owns the Jets.
While it could’ve ended there, Rodgers took it a step further during his appearance on this Tuesday’s episode when he challenged Kelce to debate the vaccine. He also suggested each of them has a partner for the debate, with Rodgers choosing presidential candidate – and noted vaccine skeptic – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for himself and former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci for Kelce.
Naturally, the clip was tweeted out by McAfee’s account. Then, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter also posted it, calling the feud “the potential next great American debate.”
The idea of a prominent figure at ESPN promoting a potential debate – likely based on widely-debunked theories – did not go over well.
“ESPN should be embarrassed for airing this nonsense,” gambling reporter Dustin Gouker said. “They are journeying into OutKick territory.”
ESPN should be embarrassed for airing this nonsense. They are journeying into Outkick territory. https://t.co/2GaKyG7GTc
— Dustin Gouker (@DustinGouker) October 10, 2023
Others also called out Schefter for boosting the clip.
1. We shouldn’t give platforms to anti-vaxxers
2. We shouldn’t call it a “debate”
3. So irresponsible of Schefter here. Clown shit. https://t.co/fG4jBYSQtf
— Chris Moxley (@ChrisMoxley19) October 10, 2023
Schefter has been continually losing credibility by catering to nonsense like this and b*rstool, but framing Aaron Rodgers and RFK Jr. spewing anti-vax crap at Travis Kelce and Fauci as “the next great American debate” is his dumbest move yet https://t.co/Fuqd3QNiut
— Jack Linnehan (@JackLinnehan) October 10, 2023
Some also criticized ESPN for bringing McAfee’s show to the network.
Aaron Rodgers sucks. Pat sucks for the weekly disinformation platform. ESPN sucks for being hypocrites. https://t.co/144GIh8dkd
— Pitch Mr. Perfect (@MichaelWaterloo) October 10, 2023
This whole interaction, to me, shows exactly why the Pat McAfee show will not work on ESPN in the long run. https://t.co/rBGghQrDyD
— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) October 10, 2023
Watch above via ESPN
