During his latest appearance on the Pat McAfee Show—ESPN's Pat McAfee Show, mind you—Aaron Rodgers went off on the state of the network and sports media in 2024.
"There’s a lot of people talking about the game now," Rodgers said on Tuesday. "Both non-former players and former players who are trying to stay relevant fame-wise. So the takes and the criticism are a lot different than they were maybe in the mid-2000s."
He continued: "I’m talking about these experts on TV who nobody remembers what they did in their career, so in order for them to stay relevant they have to make comments that keep them in the conversation. That wasn’t going on in 2008, 2009."
Ryan Clark—a former player-turned-media-personality known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2006-12—gave his two cents about Rodgers' comments on Friday's edition of ESPN's First Take:
"My issue with him is, you're doing the exact same thing," he said sternly. "And the reason that you're getting this opportunity to say these asinine things, is because someone is paying you—who is exactly the same thing that you are now speaking out against!"
Tone deaf
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) December 13, 2024
Unaware
Arrogant
Hypocritical
Fraud
Ryan Clark unloaded on Aaron Rodgers on today’s First Take. pic.twitter.com/B5aJKgrHYL
Clark continued: "This dude is once again, tone deaf. This dude is once again, unaware. This dude is once again, arrogant—to a point that's almost sickening. Because he says these things and he talks tough, and he behaves in this way, but he ain't. He has all of this cache because he's a good player. But [there] ain't people around here that come around and talk about what type of leader you are. [There] ain't people that come around here talking about wanting to follow you because of the type of man you have been."
"This dude is a fraud. He's been a fraud. He can throw a football—and that's where it stops. Once that talent ends, so does he. And so to sit up there and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny—and it's sickening at the same time."
Clark is the latest ESPN personality to speak out on Rodgers' comments, joining Stephen A. Smith and Mina Kimes.
Next Tuesday's Pat McAfee Show will be appointment TV.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryan Clark Goes Off On 'Fraud' Aaron Rodgers for Latest Comments on ESPN.
