ESPN's Silence Amidst Aaron Rodgers' Controversial Verbal Assault on Jimmy Kimmel

This article was first published in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter. For a daily digest covering the changing media landscape, subscribe here.

ESPN is currently facing a challenge with Pat McAfee.

The sports broadcaster sparked controversy when he allowed the conspiracy theorist Aaron Rodgers to make baseless claims about Jimmy Kimmel's alleged involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. This led to a heated exchange, with Kimmel warning that such claims put his family at risk and suggesting a legal debate.

On Wednesday, McAfee issued an apology, acknowledging that he pays Rodgers a significant amount to appear on his show. He expressed a desire for his program to be positive and fun, and expressed regret for any association with negativity, particularly serious allegations that may upset people. He stated, "So we apologize for being a part of it."

Rodgers' weak apology, given a day after the offensive remark, was too late. McAfee described it as a "s**t talk joke" and it quickly spread around the world, creating the idea that Kimmel was associated with Epstein, a convicted pedophile.

A spokesperson for ESPN refused to comment, and a representative for Disney did not respond despite the seriousness of the situation, as one of their top personalities was being unfairly criticized.

Bob Iger probably isn't happy about one of his top talents having his reputation tarnished on Disney's own sports network. But maybe the boss of the Mouse House should get used to it, as incidents like this are likely to happen again with McAfee on the payroll.

The Kimmel-McAfee-Rodgers drama highlights a growing issue for ESPN, which signed an $85 million, five-year deal with McAfee last May to expand his role on the network and bring "The Pat McAfee Show" to its airwaves. Instead of being known for sports commentary, McAfee's weekly conversations with Rodgers have generated headlines that might make Alex Jones of InfoWars envious.

The anti-vaccine Rodgers presents himself as a champion for "medical freedom" and has used his ESPN platform to repeatedly question Covid-19 vaccines, despite their widely acknowledged role in saving lives and restoring normalcy after a year of damaging economic shutdowns. His disregard for the scientific consensus is evidenced by his alignment with figures such as Alex Berenson and Tucker Carlson. Additionally, Rodgers has targeted Dr. Anthony Fauci, promoted anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr., and ridiculed Travis Kelce as "Mr. Pfizer." Most recently, Rodgers engaged in what the Daily Mail called a "bizarre anti-vax rant" on McAfee's show, discussing vaccine supporters as alleged "puppet masters."

Rodgers has promoted this nonsense on ESPN, encouraged by a gleeful McAfee. Instead of opposing it, McAfee often laughs along with the NFL player, seemingly unconcerned about the potential harm of his irresponsible rhetoric.

And, to be honest, ESPN and Disney have not handled it well. Rather than condemning the dangerous mix of conspiracy theories that Rodgers presents to its audience, ESPN, which prides itself as the "worldwide leader in sports," has chosen to remain silent, seemingly unable or unwilling to muster the courage to stand up for the truth.