Last week, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stole the headlines with his rant aimed at former White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. Rodgers blasted Dr. Fauci for invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination several times during a congressional hearing last week.
Stephen A. Smith Backs Aaron Rodgers Amid Dr. Fauci Fallout
In Thursday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized Dr. Fauci’s conduct during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith also revealed that he had apologized to high-profile personalities, including Kyrie Irving and Rodgers, for his comments during the pandemic.
“The man pleaded the Fifth 111 times, but they got a hold of his diary,” Smith said. “When you talk about self-adulation being taken to a new level, definitely, he was guilty of at least that. We learned that masks, 6 feet distancing, these were not scientific decisions being made. This was made by a man whose ego was just larger than life.”
“It was embarrassing not only to him, but it was embarrassing to us who took his word as gospel and ignored all the cynicism and criticism that was coming his way,” Smith continued. “We sat back, and we bought his stuff hook, line, and sinker. He was the face of science.”
“I felt compelled to go on the airwaves and apologize to the likes of NBA star Kyrie Irving or an NFL star like Aaron Rodgers because of the scrutiny they received, the assist that I provided in aiming that scrutiny, or assisting in that scrutiny coming in their direction, because the face of science was telling us: this is not what’s supposed to be happening, and the level of dominion and control that he was having over the lives of American citizens,” Smith added. “This is shameful, it’s shameful.”
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During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week, Rodgers praised Smith for apologizing to Irving on the analyst’s popular show over the Dallas Mavericks star’s stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Alongside Irving, the polarizing Rodgers was one of the most high-profile athletes to refuse the COVID-19 vaccination. His stance was revealed when he contracted the disease and had to miss a game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. The iconic quarterback had lied to reporters during the preseason that he had been immunized.
After that episode, Rodgers revealed that he had sought homeopathic treatment, and he railed against the NFL and NFLPA’s tight COVID-19 protocols, targeting unvaccinated players. He was fined $14,650 for violating several protocols, including attending parties with his teammates and being unmasked during news conferences.
Health officials blasted Rodgers for spreading vaccine misinformation when he claimed that ivermectin was good for people with COVID-19.
