If you’re a fan of sports, you understand that trash talking is part of the game.
Not only is it going on throughout all competitions, for decades it was glorified by media and fans alike. Entire trash-talking compilations can be found online with hundreds of thousands of views. It’s an art form used by some of the greats to gain an edge.
On Sunday in Chicago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers officially entered the trash talking Hall of Fame.
After scoring on a six-yard touchdown run, Rodgers looked up to the Chicago Bears crowd and was caught on a hot mic giving Bears fans his thoughts on the state of the 100-year rivalry between the two storied organizations.
“All my f—ing life, I own you,” Rodgers shouted after scoring from six yards out in the fourth quarter. “I still own you. I still own you.”
Hilarious. Fantastic. Legendary.
And while the majority of sports media glorified the moment, there was a portion of the media that didn’t appreciate his message to Bears fans, according to Rodgers.
Rodgers went on “The Pat McAfee Show” and discussed the reaction to his fan engagement.
“There’s a PC woke culture that exists,” Rodgers told Pat McAfee. “And there’s a Cancel Culture at the same time, and it’s based on people’s own feelings of maybe personal [misery] or distaste for their own situations or life or just the enjoyment of holding other people down underneath their thumb.”
Rodgers pointed to the fact that there’s no winning when it comes to the Woke Culture.
Rodgers was the subject of months-long conversations surrounding the way he handled the offseason, in which he took some time away from football as a rift between Rodgers and the organization played out.
“When you engage in this culture, you’re immersed in it and you’re in it so much,” Rodgers said. “For me, when I took time in the offseason to work on myself and to work on my mental status, and to get myself in the right frame of mind, I was being selfish. Or nonresponsive, selfish, and entitled. When I came back and said what I said … the same sentiments were shared.”
“Pick a topic, from my family to my leadership style. … They run with these stories, and when I respond to it … then I’m being sensitive,” Rodgers explained.
Rodgers made sure to point out that he’s not part of the “PC woke culture,” refusing to “play the game.”
“There’s a game within the game. If the player abides by the rules of the game, he’s part of the game,” Rodgers continued. “The rules of the game are: You must acquiesce with the woke mob at all times. You must. However, when you live above the game, the game does not exist, and that’s where I’m at.”
“I’m not a part of this game that’s being played. This game is being played out by these individuals. I see it, I hear it, but to me it’s comedy.”
Trash talk is a wonderful part of sports, though the more media and fans continue to dissect every little thing that is said, the less we’ll hear it.
“Are we getting that soft as a society that we can’t have a back and forth now,” Rodgers asked. “Somebody can pay for a ticket and say whatever the hell they want — which I think they should be able to — but the one time you say something back to them, that gets caught on a hot mic, now I’ve disrespected an entire city, an entire organization, my organization … ”
“I’m not a part of this woke, Cancel Culture that tries to silence people all the time.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].