What's one more Aaron Rodgers story this week? For the road?
Rodgers made "headlines" again this week for the same usual reason – he said some very dopey things with an almost-impressive disregard for the hypocrisy of it all. And people say he's lost a step??
The Jets QB went on, of course, Pat McAfee's show to talk about The Good Ol' Days and a bunch of other stuff that I can't specifically talk about because I stopped paying attention. But one notable sound bite came when he was talking about how ESPN has apparently lost the plot, now valuing yelling personalities over sports highlights and analysis. (Cue up The Onion's "Worst Person You Know Made A Good Point" meme.)
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Obviously that clip found it's way onto First Take, because nothing in this world is more powerful than corporate content synergy. I'm sure ESPNBet had odds on how quickly it would take Stephen A. Smith to clap back with an EPIC takedown! But it was actually Mina Kimes who rose to the occasion, surprising no one as she thoroughly dismantled Rodgers' grandstanding.
Mina Kimes has no time for Aaron Rodgers' latest nonsense
"His point – that personality-driven programming has overtaken highlights, he's well within his rights to note that," she said. "But others are well within their rights to note that he's espousing that opinion on a personality-driven program that employs him as a personality during the NFL season. That context does matter here."
"The other context that matters is, I think there's some subtext that he is saying that some of his criticism of his play this year is unfounded. Again, he's totally within his rights to note that, but a lot of the criticism this year is substantiated because of his play. And I guess that's why I come away from this feeling like there is a lot of validity to this message, but it does seem like the wrong messenger at this moment."
Couldn't have put it better myself! I appreciate that Kimes makes no bones about openly calling out some of ESPN's worst tendencies while still being employed by them, and I appreciate ESPN letting her do so. That, friends, is what job security looks like.
Also, I'm on board with anyone who uses their 90-second TV hit to make fun of Aaron Rodgers' nonsense; only truths were told. Rodgers could take a lesson or two from that. And knowing him, I'm sure he will!!!!