Media hypocrisy in Aaron Rodgers’ political stance vs LeBron James’ ‘liberal’ leanings has Colin Cowherd riled up
Colin Cowherd called out the double standards of his fellow media professionals toward the political views of Aaron Rodgers and LeBron James.
He called out those who criticized the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player for commenting on political matters but celebrated Rodgers when he shared his views.
Cowherd said in a recent episode of Fox Sports 1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd:
"LeBron's polarizing. He couldn't be nicer to me the other day. He's polarizing. He's taken some strong stance politically. You know, Aaron Rodgers is political, conservatives love him. LeBron's political; you don't like him. So, who's the hypocrite?"
"The audience is the hypocrite. A lot of liberals like LeBron and Aaron turns them off. A conservative likes Aaron's pushback on vaccines, doesn't like LeBron. They're both outspoken. They're both willing to talk about politics. They're both willing to put it out there."
LeBron James isn’t shy about taking a stand for social matters. He once said that former United States President Donald Trump’s “laughable and scary remarks” shows he doesn’t understand his people. The four-time NBA champion was also vocal during the unjust killings of Black people by uniformed personnel.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers adamantly defended his anti-vaccine stance, especially during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. He once claimed to have been “immunized” from the virus. He also supported anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and defended him against vaccinologist Dr. Peter Hotez.
Cowherd added:
"I tend to be a bigger fan of LeBron than Aaron because I think LeBron is an elevator of others. I think Aaron's just brilliantly talented. But if you look at it, it's the same basic belief which is that 'I am more than an athlete and I deserve an opinion.'"
"You can't tell me you love Aaron and you hate LeBron because of their stances. They're both outspoken professional athletes."
Colin Cowherd debunks Aaron Rodgers’ new demeanor
Cowherd’s co-host, Jason McIntyre, pointed out in the middle of their conversation:
"When do we start the new Aaron? Because this is not the guy right now. This Aaron Rodgers currently that we're hearing."
However, the veteran sports media personality believes the change in Aaron Rodgers’ behavior is temporary.
"Yeah, any time someone goes to a new company the first six months, they are on their best behavior. But Aaron's prickly, Aaron's his own guy."
McIntyre answered:
"He hasn't been prickly since he's been to the Jets."
Cowherd closed the chatter:
"Oh, you mean those six whole weeks he's there. Well, quite a commitment to coachability. How about they go on a four game losing streak."
The New York Jets finalized the trade for Aaron Rodgers one day before the 2023 NFL Draft started. He played his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, winning one Super Bowl and four Most Valuable Player awards.