Hub Arkush, a Chicago-based reporter who owns one of the 50 votes for The Associated Press’ Most Valuable Player award, caused a ton of issues this week when he stated he would not cast his vote for the Green Bay Packers quarterback because he’s “the biggest jerk in the league” and “a bad guy.”
Arkush has since said he regrets saying he would not vote for Rodgers because of his issues with the quarterback’s off-the-field habits, such as his decision not to get vaccinated.
“I made a terrible mistake. It was completely my fault. There is no one else to blame, and I am here to try and apologize,” he wrote. “I own this and I couldn’t be more sorry.
“… On Tuesday, at 670 The Score in Chicago, where I am regularly employed as an analyst and host, for reasons that I am still trying to come to grips with but were completely my responsibility, I allowed myself to be walked into a conversation about an MVP candidate I knew I would not be voting for. I said some things that while not unreasonable in the context they were said, I voiced them in totally inappropriate ways.”
Towards the end, he started to point to his critics who have since blasted him for his words.
“I’ve apparently unleashed a small army of self-styled social media and talk radio experts who have no clue what they’re talking about to challenge the quality of the voting process and would attempt to invalidate any vote or thought process that doesn’t agree with their own,” Arkush added.
Aaron Rodgers had strong words for the MVP voter.
“I think he’s a bum,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “I think he’s an absolute bum. He doesn’t know me. I don’t know who he is; no one knew who he was, probably, until yesterday’s comments. I listened to the comments, but to say he had his mind made up in the summertime, in the offseason, that I had zero chance of winning MVP, in my opinion, should exclude future votes. His problem isn’t with me being a bad guy or the biggest jerk in the league. He doesn’t know me.”
“His problem is I’m not vaccinated,” Rodgers said. “So, if he wants to go on a crusade and collude and come up with an extra letter to put on the award just for this season and make it the Most Valuable Vaccinated Player, then he should do that. But he’s a bum and I’m not going to waste any time worrying about that stuff. He has no idea who I am. He’s never talked to me in his life.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
It was just last month when Rodgers even acknowledged during one of his weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show that some voters might hold his viewpoint on the subject of vaccination against him. He had no idea how right he would be.
Because he is unvaccinated, he was forced to miss the game against the Chiefs and had to quarantine for 10 days.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the only thing that should be considered in the voting is how someone plays on the field.
“I don’t know what else could factor into it than how somebody goes out and performs on a weekly basis,” LaFleur said. “If people are going to judge people for differences of opinion or things that they have no idea what the heck they’re talking about, then I think that just kind of discredits that award. I think we hold that award in high regard. I think most do. And I think it’s an absolute privilege to be able to vote for that award. To consider anything else outside of what you see when that player’s out there playing I think is a disservice to everybody.”
Despite Rodgers missing the game that they loss, the Packers still managed to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with one game remaining. They’re 13-3 heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale at the Detroit Lions.
Rodgers has thrown 35 touchdown passes and had had only four passes intercepted for 3,977 yards.
