Hub Arkush, a Chicago-based sportswriter and one of the Associated Press 50 voters for the NFL MVP award, wrote an apology for “some of the childish things” he said about Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday.
The statement comes hours after he said in Chicago 670 radio station The Score that he “made a big mistake.” However, he said the mistake had nothing to do with the comments about Rodgers, but “did not respect” the cardinal rule of voting: do not reveal your plans before they are announced.
“Most of the other 49 AP voters are acquaintances, many are friends, and the reason we are being asked not to do what I did is that now it is putting pressure on some of them to comment, not comment, agree. agree, disagree or feel bad about doing the right thing and staying silent, “Arkush wrote Wednesday night. Worse still, I have apparently unleashed a small army of self-proclaimed social media and radio experts who have no idea what they are talking about to challenge the quality of the voting process and would try to invalidate any vote or thought process. that doesn’t match yours.
“A sign of the times, I guess.”
Arkush did not reveal who he was actually voting for, but said Tuesday that the way Rodgers conducted himself off the field, citing his violation of COVID-19 protocols, is what ultimately made him unworthy of winning the MVP award this year. .
“I just think the way he’s behaving is inappropriate,” Arkush said. “I think he’s a bad guy, and I don’t think a bad guy can be the most valuable guy at the same time.”
Rodgers didn’t hold back his thoughts Wednesday in addressing the comments, saying: “I think he’s lazy. I think he [Arkush] he’s an absolute bum. He doesn’t know me. I don’t know who it is. No one knew who it was, probably until yesterday’s comments. And I listened to the comments. But to say that I had made a decision in the summer, in the offseason, that I had zero chances of winning the MVP, in my opinion, that should exclude [him from] future votes “.
The Packers quarterback also said Arkush was angrier about not getting vaccinated than about whether or not he was a “bad boy.”
“He doesn’t know anything about me … I’ve never had lunch with him,” Rodgers said. “I have never had an interview with him. His problem is that I am not vaccinated. If he wants to go on a crusade, conspire and present an additional letter to present the award for this season alone and make him the ‘Most Valuable Vaccinated Player’ then he should. “
Rodgers previously suggested in The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday that voters will not elect him due to his COVID-19 vaccination status and the public fallout from the past few weeks.
Despite the off-field controversy, Rodgers has been racking up MVP-caliber numbers this season, throwing for 3,977 yards and 35 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
Arkush closed his open apology with notes to different members affected by the comments, including Rodgers. He wrote: “To Aaron Rodgers, you are one of the best players of this generation and one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Whether or not you are this year’s MVP is up to the 50-member panel, not me or my critics. “
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.