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.
All through Rodgers’ weekly look on The Pat McAfee Convey final Tuesday, Rodgers jokingly said Kelce as “Mr. Pfizer” on account of his commercials promoting the flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Kelce spoke back to that harmless comic story with one in all his personal, calling the feud between the two “Mr. Pfizer vs. The Johnson & Johnson domestic” as a result of the fact that the domestic owns the Jets.
Whereas it might probably’ve ended there, Rodgers took it a step further all through his look on this Tuesday’s episode when he challenged Kelce to debate the vaccine. He additionally urged every of them has a partner for the controversy, with Rodgers choosing presidential candidate – and stated vaccine skeptic – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for himself and former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci for Kelce.
Naturally, the clip used to be tweeted out by way of McAfee’s account. Then, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter additionally posted it, calling the feud “the potential next great American debate.”
The idea of a prominent determine at ESPN promoting a potential debate – doubtless based on widely-debunked theories – did not go over smartly.
“ESPN must be embarrassed for airing this nonsense,” gambling reporter Dustin Gouker said. “They’re journeying into OutKick territory.”
ESPN must be embarrassed for airing this nonsense. They’re journeying into Outkick territory. https://t.co/2GaKyG7GTc
— Dustin Gouker (@DustinGouker) October 10, 2023
Others often known as out Schefter for reinforcing the clip.
1. We shouldn’t give structures to anti-vaxxers
2. We shouldn’t name it a “debate”
three. So irresponsible of Schefter right here. Clown shit. https://t.co/fG4jBYSQtf
— Chris Moxley (@ChrisMoxley19) October 10, 2023
Schefter has been continually losing credibility by using 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 subsequent great American debate” is his dumbest transfer but https://t.co/Fuqd3QNiut
— Jack Linnehan (@JackLinnehan) October 10, 2023
Some additionally criticized ESPN for bringing McAfee’s exhibit 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 entire interplay, to me, presentations precisely why the Pat McAfee express won’t work on ESPN in the long run. https://t.co/rBGghQrDyD
— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) October 10, 2023
Watch above via ESPN
The put up ESPN Beneath Fire After Aaron Rodgers Problem Travis Kelce to Vaccine Debate on Network first regarded on Mediaite.