Whitlock: Aaron Rodgers and Joe Rogan stand against the CCP – Competitive COVID Propaganda



Aaron Rodgers is the most dangerous and important man in professional sports. The Green Bay quarterback and reigning NFL MVP can articulate American professional sports leagues’ greed-driven betrayal of their athletes.

So far, most athletes believe the only consequence of American sports bowing to the CCP is a fattened bank account. Young, poorly educated, and dependent on social media algorithms for guidance, modern athletes fail to recognize the danger of globalism and abandonment of traditional American values.

Aaron Rodgers is no longer young. Specks of gray highlight his mane. Intellectual curiosity compels him to seek information beyond what Twitter and Facebook approve. He engages with the disruptive. He flirts with cancellation.

On Saturday, during a three-hour interview, podcaster Joe Rogan played the role of Morpheus and offered Rodgers the red pill and the blue pill. Rodgers channeled Neo and joined the rebellion.

"The Matrix: Competitive COVID Propaganda." That’s what we witnessed Saturday.

In his discussion with Rogan, Rodgers began the process of unpacking the COVID duplicity the NFL unleashed on its players and employees at the behest of Big Pharma.

“And then we're gonna virtue-signal to say, 'Look how righteous our league is, we have 95% compliance with the vaccine,'” Rodgers told Rogan. “And if you don’t, we’re going to send a stooge to your team to show you graphs of your vaccination percentage of your team compared to the rest of the league, which actually happened."

“Day three of training camp, they sent this stooge in, and he showed these slides about what your vaccination percentage was on your team. Where are you, compared to the rest of the league? And I started asking him questions about liability. ‘Oh, I’m not a lawyer.’ Okay, cool. But you’re in here talking about all these different things, and you don’t talk about anybody’s personal health issues. There’s zero exemptions, you took out religious exemptions, you took out PEG exemptions, you took out anybody’s ability to have an opinion of ‘I don’t want to do this.’”

It’s unfair to single out the NFL. The entire sports world joined the Competitive COVID Propaganda movement. The NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA were no better than the NFL.

They all bowed to the CCP and the globalist agenda. All the leagues applied as much pressure as possible for young, perfectly healthy athletes to bend over and take an experimental medical trial that does not prevent COVID or its spread. Worse, it’s a rushed medical trial for which we do not know the full scope of its side effects.

In terms of betrayal and damage to trust, this is far worse than the NFL’s alleged dishonesty about concussions. CTE is junk science propagated by the anti-football movement. Even the Washington Post has attacked the alleged discoverer of CTE, Bennet Omalu, the doctor celebrated in the Will Smith-fronted concussion movie.

We’re living through an information and propaganda war. Aaron Rodgers is the highest-profile influencer to join the rebellion. He could wake up his athletic peers to the fact that they’re being used against their own best interest and the best interest of America.

Rodgers might be the most dangerous athlete since Muhammad Ali changed the approved narrative on the Vietnam War. The NFL’s media partners will denigrate Rodgers for consenting to an interview with Rogan and discussing the illogical COVID protocols that defined professional sports last year.

NBC’s Mike Florio, the founder of Pro Football Talk, complained that Rodgers “dredged up a dead issue.” Florio and many other media outlets focused on Rodgers admitting that he misled the media a year ago about his vaccination status.

That’s not the story. Pro sports leagues misleading their employees at the behest of pharmaceutical companies and the vaccine-crazy Biden administration is the real story.

Big Pharma controls television and the sports leagues. That’s what’s driving Competitive COVID Propaganda.

Remember five years ago when Papa John’s Pizza was the NFL’s most visible advertiser? John Schnatter is an all-American success story. He grew up in small-town Indiana. He started a pizza parlor in the closet of his dad’s bar. He became a billionaire. He and Peyton Manning promoted Papa John’s Pizza during commercial breaks of NFL games.

John Schnatter has traditional American values. His brand fit the old NFL. The new NFL pivoted to a globalist agenda The new NFL, like all of television, surrendered to Big Pharma’s advertising thirst.

Big Pharma has pills and vaccines to sell on TV. Big Pharma cut a deal with the Trump-led government to develop vaccines free of any liability for their side effects. The NFL, the NBA, the NHL, and MLB all hopped on the Big Pharma gravy train.

The athletes were treated as lab rats and guinea pigs.

Aaron Rodgers knows this. More importantly, he can articulately explain this. Pro sports leagues don’t want this explained. So their media partners will be very reluctant to address Rodgers’ interview with Rogan. They’ll pretend no one cares.

The truth is Competitive COVID Propaganda has inflicted irrevocable damage on the thin and fading trust between athletes and ownership. As the risks of the vaccines become more and more clear, athletes will realize ownership offered them up as pawns in a globalist game. So did their unions. All of their unions agreed to the draconian COVID protocols. The NFL and the NBA had the most punitive rules because their unions are the weakest and have the worst leadership.

Here’s hoping Aaron Rodgers doesn’t stop with his Joe Rogan interview. Here’s hoping Rodgers inspired other athletes to stand as men and support Novak Djokovic, the world’s top tennis player who is being prevented from playing in the U.S. Open because he won’t take the vaccine. Moderna is one of the primary sponsors of the tournament.

We all must reject the rulership of the Chinese Communist Party and all of its Big Pharma-backed COVID variants.

NFL suddenly halts daily COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated players



The NFL will stop daily testing of all players — vaccinated or unvaccinated — for the remaining playoff teams.

According to the Associated Press, a memo was sent to all 32 NFL franchises on Friday that said medical experts from the NFL and the players’ union decided to halt daily testing of the remaining postseason teams for COVID-19.

"Following consultation with our jointly retained infectious disease experts, the NFL and NFL Players Association have updated the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols to eliminate the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players to determine testing cadence," the memo stated. "Effective immediately, all players and tiered staff will be subject to strategic and targeted testing."

All players and tiered staff are now subject to enhanced symptom screening, symptom-based testing, and targeted surveillance testing, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.

"Of all the unvaccinated players still on playoff teams, only about a dozen haven’t had COVID already, per source," Pelissero wrote on Twitter.

According to the league's latest data that goes through Jan. 8, nearly 95% of NFL players are vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 100% of NFL personnel are vaccinated.

"Individuals on a 90-day test 'holiday' after having COVID are still subject to testing if they have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status," Pelissero added. "So while positive tests are near-zero right now, it’s still possible any player could miss a playoff game, if they’re sick."

NFL.com reported, "The NFLPA-approved change has been made based on info gathered over the past month on the Omicron variant. NFL and NFLPA medical experts saw a decrease in positive cases during that span, an encouraging sign for the league as a whole following decisions to implement targeted testing and revise the window for players to return from COVID protocol late last year."

The NFL regular season ended on Jan. 9, which sent home 20 of the league's 32 teams. There were eight teams in action for this weekend's divisional-round playoff games.

According to Worldometer data, the 7-day moving average of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. had a pandemic high of 895,925 on Jan. 7, but there were still 800,700 new COVID-19 cases recorded on Jan. 21.

Last month, the NFL instituted new COVID-19 testing protocols after the league's chief medical officer revealed that asymptomatic players were not transmitting coronavirus. Dr. Allen Sills — the NFL's chief medical officer — stated that the league had not seen any verifiable asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 this season.

The change in health protocols in December eliminated weekly testing for vaccinated players, but still required daily testing for unvaccinated players.

'COVID optics:' Confused NFL fans react to Erin Andrews conducting socially distanced interview with Aaron Rodgers then hugging him afterward



Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke the illustrious franchise's record for touchdown passes on Christmas Day. However, many NFL fans were talking about the socially distanced interview with the star QB following the game.

Rodgers threw for 202 yards to lead the Packers in a tight 24-22 win over the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Rodgers also tossed three touchdowns — giving him a total of 445 career TDs — breaking Brett Favre's franchise record for touchdowns.

Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews interviewed Rodgers after the game. The post-game interview with Rodgers and the NFL sideline reporter was socially distanced by at least six feet. However, moments after the interview, perhaps when the reporter thought that the cameras weren't rolling, Rodgers and Andrews embraced in a hug.

\u201cI got to sit behind a legend for three years and see what greatness looked like first hand. That\u2019s an experience that changed my life forever.\u201d\n\n@AaronRodgers12 discusses what it means to him breaking @BrettFavre\u2019s record.pic.twitter.com/u6occzr2Kc
— NFL Network (@NFL Network) 1640479603

NFL fans reacted with confusion over the hug that took place a mere seconds after the socially distanced interview.

*Holds socially distanced interview*\n\n*Hugs immediately after interview*\n\nMakes sense.pic.twitter.com/YhmGUqHc19
— NFL Memes (@NFL Memes) 1640479643


Libertarian commentator Eric July: "We just watched Erin Andrews give a socially distanced interview… then after it, hugged Aaron Rodgers after the interview was done. Hahahahahahahahahahhaa."

Sports talk show host Donnie Seymour: "Erin Andrews and Aaron Rodgers have to do an interview separated by 10 ft because of Covid Optics. After the interview is over they high five and hug. Hahahhaha."

Radio talk show host Colin Dunlap: "Erin Andrews stood like 10 feet from Aaron Rodgers on camera. Interview ends. Erin Andrews hugs Aaron Rodgers. All on national TV. And we wonder why the country is confused as hell."

Sportswriter Bill Burt: "LOL Fox Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews does the fake 6-feet thing in interviewing Aaron Rodgers then hugs him afterward. As long as we’re all on the same page of fakeness, I’m good."

Sports editor Alex Reimer: "Erin Andrews hugging Aaron Rodgers at the end of a socially distanced interview is the TV equivalent of wearing your mask on the way to the table and then taking it off for the rest of the meal."

Former sports anchor Justin Beasley: "Erin Andrews stands 10-feet away then hugs Aaron Rodgers. It’s all a show people."

Radio host Scot Bertram: "Thank goodness Aaron Rodgers and Erin Andrews kept six feet apart during the interview to stay safe ... before exchanging a hug together afterward."

Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 last month, but was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list just 10 days later — the earliest he was eligible to return. The three-time MVP QB was harangued by the media, sports talking heads, and some fans for not being vaccinated against coronavirus. Rodgers never specifically said he was vaccinated against COVID-19, but previously described himself as "immunized." Rodgers said he has an allergy to an ingredient in the mRNA vaccines.

Rodgers was also maligned for seeking treatments from doctors as well as Joe Rogan, who was also unvaccinated when he caught COVID-19 but recovered after three days. Rodgers said he took therapeutics such as zinc, vitamins C and D, and monoclonal antibodies.

Earlier this week, Rodgers blasted the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

"The one frustration I have is that throughout all of this there hasn't been any conversation about health," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "I don't understand why society and the NFL hasn't talked about legitimate COVID treatment options."

"I just wish there was more conversation about health and around treatment options moving forward and I hope there will be," Rodgers said on Tuesday.

Aaron Rodgers Slams NFL COVID Policy: 'There Hasn't Been Any Conversation About Health'pic.twitter.com/tzdVEvoChk
— MRCTV (@MRCTV) 1640295000

Despite at least 94% of players vaccinated, the NBA, NFL, and NHL forced to cancel games, change COVID-19 protocols, and welcome unvaccinated players during latest spike of cases



The major professional sports leagues in the U.S. are being forced to cancel a slew of games, alter COVID-19 protocols, and allow a once-shunned vaccinated superstar to return to action because of a rash of COVID-19 cases amongst the players, despite being nearly 100% vaccinated against coronavirus.

The NFL changes COVID-19 protocols

Despite 94.6% of NFL players being fully vaccinated, there were 58 players who tested positive for COVID-19 between Nov. 28 and Dec. 11. NFL personnel are 100% vaccinated, but there were 50 cases in the same time period.

Cases have surged even higher this week, forcing the NFL to postpone three games in Week 15.

"The NFL hit a single-day high of 36 positive tests among players Monday," The Hill reported. "By Wednesday, the COVID-19 list grew to at least 90 players."

The Los Angeles Rams currently have 29 players who either tested positive for COVID-19 this week or were still on the reserve/COVID-19 list from last week, according to ESPN. The Cleveland Browns have 24 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Washington Football Team have 23 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke and backup Kyle Allen.

The National Football League will attempt to tackle the flood of COVID-19 cases by ending the mandate for weekly COVID-19 tests for asymptomatic vaccinated players. However, the NFL will penalize unvaccinated players – who will continue to have to test daily.

NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero wrote, "The revised NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols will end regular weekly testing of asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals."

Pelissero noted that "over 150 (mostly asymptomatic) players" tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.

The revised NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols will end regular weekly testing of asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals. A major shift amidst the emergence of the Omicron variant and over 150 (mostly asymptomatic) players testing positive this past week.\n\nFrom today\u2019s memo:pic.twitter.com/9uMn92dfNp
— Tom Pelissero (@Tom Pelissero) 1639856091

NHL cancels games for an entire week for 3 teams

The National Hockey League is postponing all games for a week for three franchises because of rising COVID-19 cases. The Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers have had their games postponed through Dec. 26, according to the Sporting News. The Flames have 18 players and coaches out of action because of COVID-19 protocols, the Panthers have seven, and the Avalanche have five players.

The NHL made the decision "due to concern with the number of positive cases within the last two days as well as concern for continued COVID spread in the coming days," the league said in a statement.

Additionally, the next two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks are also canceled after nine players tested positive for COVID-19.

NHL players are nearly 100% vaccinated. There are 32 NHL teams with a maximum of 23 players for a potential of 736 players in the league. There is only one unvaccinated NHL player in the entire league – Tyler Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings.

NBA team does a 180 to welcome unvaccinated star back

The Brooklyn Nets welcomed 7-time All-Star Kyrie Irving back to the team on Friday, despite him being unvaccinated. Irving was booted from the team in the preseason for not being vaccinated and has yet to play in any regular-season NBA games.

New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate would prohibit Irving from playing in Nets' home games at the Barclays Center, but he could still participate in most road games.

However, the Nets have been obliterated by a swarm of COVID-19 cases this week. The Nets only had eight active players – the minimum number of players for a game to be played – when Brooklyn hosted the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. The team has a total of 10 players on the sidelines because of positive COVID-19 tests, including stars Kevin Durant, James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Irving.

The Chicago Bulls also had 10 players test positive for COVID-19, which caused them to postpone two games this week. Even Bulls broadcasters Stacey King and Bill Wennington were forced into isolation due to the NBA's COVID-19 protocols, which states that players and personnel must quarantine for 10 days or until they return two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour window.

The widespread outbreak of COVID-19 comes at a time when 97% of the league's players are fully vaccinated.

Cleveland Browns quarterback lashes out at NFL over coronavirus protocols: 'Make up your damn mind'



Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield lashed out at the NFL over their coronavirus protocols after 19 players were placed on the COVID-19 list ahead of important games that will determine their standing in the playoffs.

Mayfield fired off a series of tweets criticizing the coronavirus protocols that might sideline many key players on the team, including himself.

"@NFL Make up your damn mind on protocols. Showing up and making only 3 teams test?!? All so you can keep the game as scheduled to make money," Mayfield tweeted on Thursday.

"Actually caring about player safety would mean delaying the game with this continuing at the rate it is…. But to say you won’t test vaccinated players if they don’t have symptoms, then to pull this randomly. Doesn’t make any sense to me," he added in a second tweet.

Mayfield will miss the Browns' game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but the team will be forced to play their third string quarterback after his backup Case Keenum also landed on the COVID-19 list.

"Tell me if this makes sense…. No tests this morning… then let our team gather for practice… then show up after practice to test them," Mayfield continued in a third tweet. "Something seems off here."

The NFL is facing a challenging outbreak of coronavirus among players in the 15th week of the 2021 season. In addition to the players from the Browns on the COVID-19 list, the Chicago Bears had 10 players on the list, and the Washington Football Team had 20 players on the list.

There are about 75 players who've received positive coronavirus tests over the last two days compared to about 110 player positives in the entire three months of the season prior to the outbreak.

The Browns have a 7 and 6 record and are one game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North conference.

Here's more about Mayfield's objections:

Browns QB Baker Mayfield calls out NFL COVID protocols | CBS Sports HQwww.youtube.com

They were warned: NFL changes who it considers fully vaxxed, mandates boosters by end of Christmas weekend ... or else



Vaccine mandate naysayers repeatedly warned anyone who would listen that "fully vaccinated" would eventually evolve from two jabs to "whatever boosters government experts tell you to get" — and now NFL employees are learning that those critics, who are often purged from what the smart set considers polite and right-thinking society, were correct all along.

The NFL entered the season with stringent COVID protocols and vaccine requirements. And now the league's employees are being told they have to get another shot.

ESPN reported Monday that the league sent a memo to the teams ordering that all Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees — e.g. coaches, front-office executives, and medical personnel — have to get the booster jab by Dec. 27. News of the new order came following reports that the NFL had 37 positive tests Monday, an unusually high number of cases.

"On November 29, the CDC issued a study showing that the effectiveness of the approved COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time and has recommended that all eligible vaccinated individuals over the age of 18 should receive a booster shot," the NFL said in the memo, which was posted by the NFL Network. "Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC's recommendation."

Folks who got the Pfizer or Moderna shots more than six months ago and those who got the Johnson & Johnson shot more than two months ago — all of whom were considered fully vaxxed until just recently — will have to get boosters.

There are some workers who don't have to get jabbed — at least not yet:

  • An individual who is not eligible for a booster pursuant as per the CDC definition; OR
  • An individual who is in the 90-day test holiday after a confirmed positive COVID test under the league Protocols; OR
  • An individual who received monoclonal antibodies within the immediately preceding 90 days; OR
  • An individual whose “S” antibody level on an antibody test administered via BRL (BioReference Lab) at the club facility is 2500 or greater.

No word from the league on how soon it will again change the standard for whom it considers fully vaxxed.

Now official. NFL requiring booster shots of all Tier 1 and 2 staff by Dec. 27. Memo has gone out to teams.pic.twitter.com/lvRjCNADRQ
— Mike Garafolo (@Mike Garafolo) 1639441265

NFL suspends Antonio Brown for 3 games after his former chef accused him of using a fake vaccine card



The National Football League suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Antonio Brown for three games over claims from his former chef that he used a fake vaccine card.

Safety Mike Edwards and free-agent receiver John Franklin III were also suspended from the Buccaneers team for three days for violating the league's vaccination rules.

The accusations were made by the Los Angeles-based chef Steven Ruiz, who said that Brown owed him $10,000. Ruiz said that Brown obtained the fake vaccination cards after he himself was unable to acquire them for Brown.

Brown denied the accusations, but he is not appealing the punishment. Edwards and Franklin are also accepting the discipline.

"The health and safety of players and personnel is our top priority," read a joint statement from the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

"The protocols were jointly developed working with our respective experts to ensure that we are practicing and playing football as safely as possible during the ongoing pandemic," the statement continued. "The NFL-NFLPA jointly reinforce their commitment and further emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the protocols to protect the well-being of everyone associated with the NFL."

The Buccaneers also released a statement on Thursday.

"We appreciate the league’s timely handling of this matter and recognize the importance of the health and safety protocols that have been established," the statement read. "We will continue to implement all league COVID-19 protocols."

Sports commentators on ESPN responded by excoriating Brown for the alleged subterfuge.

"Three games is not enough for this," said Dan Orlavsky. "So, this is stupid, it's selfish, it's ignorant, it's disrespectful!"

"Stupid!" Responded Marcus Spears, a former NFL defensive end. "This is such foolishness! This is so dumb!"

Here's more about the suspension:

BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Brown suspended 3 games by NFL | NFL Livewww.youtube.com

Couch: The Indianapolis Colts could set COVID example for the rest of sports



Carson Wentz is feeling the pressure. Coming off a terrible year, he's the new quarterback and hope of the Indianapolis Colts. If that's not enough, Wentz is being bullied into a COVID vaccine he doesn't want. By not getting it, though, he knows he could hurt his team.

"It keeps me up at night," he said.

Wentz's personal struggle led columnist Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star to write that he was known as a selfish player before coming to the Colts and that his anti-vax stance proves it. If the Colts would release Wentz now, Doyel wrote, "I'd help pack his bags. Where does he live? Because he'll need a ride to the airport."

Doyel is bullying Wentz and therefore the Colts. Wentz needed the support of his teammates, and it appears that the quarterback of the defense, linebacker Darius Leonard, stepped up and defended him Thursday. Leonard, who also has been vilified in social media and local media as a me-first anti-vaxxer, talked about his reasons for not getting the shot.

"I'm just a down South guy," he said. "I want to see more. I want to learn more. I want to get more educated about it. Just got to think about it. Don't want to rush into it. I've got to see everything. I'm listening to all the vaccinated guys here. I'm not — you see on social media — I'm not pro-vax. I'm not anti-vax …

"I think once I get a grasp of it — just like the playbook — you've got to get comfortable with something. You can say, 'OK, I'm going to put this in my body.'"

We might be seeing a breakthrough in the debate about the NFL's COVID vaccine crisis, though. And by that, I mean that the Colts might be starting a public debate about it rather than what we've seen so far, which is vaxxers barking at their moon and anti-vaxxers barking at theirs.

We don't recognize actual thinking on this topic, don't grasp nuance or lack of absolute certainty. No one asks the questions. No one offers the answers.

Leonard is an example of what big-name football players should be doing. That might be what's going on with the Colts and could lead to a healthy discussion about the vaccination.

The pressure to be jabbed has created a new minority: Unvaxxed Americans.

They don't have a voice. And the media were supposed to speak for the voiceless. Instead, they are bullying them on a highly personal subject. That's not about agreeing with the unvaxxed, but just recognizing their right to be heard. That's America. It's what has made America the envy of the world.

The Colts have what is believed to be the lowest vaccination rate in the NFL. General manager Chris Ballard told reporters they are at roughly 75%. Meanwhile, NFL protocols — approved by the Players Association — are much more stringent on unvaccinated players than on vaccinated ones. That has turned the Colts' preseason into an absolute mess and threatens to jeopardize a team that figures to contend for the AFC South title.

It's not as if Leonard shed incredible amounts of light into his decision-making process and what he sees as the pros or cons of the jab. What stood out was his willingness to stand up and talk about it at all.

The players' union, the media, and the social media mob have all been on the attack on players who don't want the vaccine. The pressure is working, as most players are getting it anyway.

Those who don't get it, though, are endangering their teams' seasons because they could endure strict penalties and longer time sitting out on the COVID-19 list. That's why coaches and general managers are factoring vaccine status into roster cuts.

If the players believe the protocols are too strict or that the players' union shouldn't have accepted them — or even that people shouldn't vilify players for not wanting the jab — then the star players will have to be the ones to stand up and say so. They are the players at less risk of being cut because they haven't been vaccinated.

"When you don't know about something, you've got to educate yourself more about it and figure out what it is, and you've got to make a decision from there," Leonard said. "You've got to make sure you understand your decision and understand what's going in your body and the long-term effects and stuff like that."

The Colts are on the margins here, with a low vaccine rate, a contending but not dominant team, and a quarterback who still needs to prove he's NFL-capable.

Wentz, the most important player on the team, said this week that his decision on the vaccine is a "fluid situation. I'm weighing every pro and con out there. The media are attacking without listening, barking at the moon."

Selfishness was not the knock on Wentz last year. He couldn't stay healthy in Philadelphia and didn't connect personally with his receivers.

Whispers of selfishness as a player don't match up with someone making health decisions, anyway. There's nothing wrong with being selfish about your personal health. We need to hear more of what Wentz has to say, what he's thinking. That will take guts on his part, though.

The Colts exemplify exactly how the protocols could ruin a season. Offensive tackle Eric Fisher got COVID, and because he had been in contact with All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson, Nelson went on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It is believed that Nelson's contact with Wentz and players Ryan Kelly and Zach Pascal led to those players going on the list and sitting out, too.

You can see how this can spread fast. What if all of that happened the week of a big game? Or going into the playoffs?

The players have to decide whether to take a jab they don't want to put in their bodies or risk hurting their teams and feeling pressure from mob rule. Meanwhile, their own union isn't standing up for them.

Leonard stood up and at least started the discussion. Others need to follow.

Whitlock: I’d love to know what Tom Brady thinks of NFL COVID protocols



An experimental medical procedure is being forced upon some of the healthiest people on the planet, and America's corporate media are reluctant to talk honestly about the chaotic ramifications.

COVID chaos is sweeping the sports world. COVID chaos' impact on sports dwarfs Colin Kaepernick's knee and Megan Rapinoe's self-aggrandizement. COVID chaos will likely define this NFL season.

COVID chaos is the most underreported story in sports.

Oh, sure, corporate media reports the headlines: Jaguars coach Urban Meyer admitted the obvious — vaccination status played a role in roster decisions.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick claimed Cam Newton's[C1] vax status played no role in the quarterback's departure.

Baseball executive Bob Boone refused to comply with the Washington Nationals' vaccine mandate and resigned.

UFC broadcaster and popular podcaster Joe Rogan contracted COVID and announced he'd taken ivermectin and other drugs to slay the virus.

Unvaccinated Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins spent time in the protocol.

Corporate media are feeding us a steady diet of headlines, news stories with little depth, and a consistent narrative that un-vaxxed athletes (and people) are selfish, irresponsible Trump supporters.

Like everything else in this country, COVID chaos is an outgrowth of our political polarization, corporate media's partnership with the Democratic Party, and the media's pervasive fear of being on the wrong side of Big Tech censorship.

There's one approved opinion on COVID. That opinion is that experimental vaccines are the only responsible way to combat the virus.

You'll never convince me Tom Brady believes that. Never.

Remember back in early August, when Brady blasted the NFL Players Association over social media? He claimed he was upset about the reduction in the salary cap. He stated: "NFL players better wake up @NFLPA. NFL players are IGNORANT. The salary cap dropped by 20%, and the new media deals were announced AFTER 2021 salary cap was set."

The most important football player of all time nuked the players' union. The story came and went without a great deal of conversation. Brady has never been a professional athlete chasing every dime. I'm sure he cares about money, but he has much stronger passions than the pursuit of wealth.

One of those passions is health. He's a health nut. He's meticulous about what he puts into his body. In 2013, he started a performance and nutrition company, TB12.

At the same time Brady ripped the NFLPA, veteran NFL players reached out to me complaining about the COVID protocols the NFLPA agreed to with the NFL. The players believe DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the union, agreed to the protocols without properly informing members of the union. The players, even the ones who have taken the vaccine, are irate. They feel betrayed by their union and voiceless. They say they've reached out to traditional NFL journalists and have been told their story and concerns are untouchable.

One player told me Brady criticized the union over the salary cap as a way of complaining about the COVID protocols DeMaurice Smith shoved past the players. I don't know Brady's vaccination status. I couldn't find a specific story on the topic. That seems odd given his stature and reputation regarding health. No one is asking the Benjamin Button of professional sports about the vaccine? Interesting.

Another player alleged he is aware of several NFL players who obtained fake vaccination cards during the off-season and provided them as proof of vaccination to their teams. I'm not mentioning that to suggest that's what Brady did. I'm saying it because I could see how and why many NFL players would.

Young people naturally feel invincible. Consider the physical conditioning of a typical professional athlete and then ask yourself how many football, basketball, baseball, and hockey players believe they need to take an experimental vaccine for a virus that kills less than 1 percent of its victims.

COVID chaos is the most divisive thing ever to hit professional sports. The people in least need of the vaccine are being forced to take it. Teams are operating separating dining rooms and separate rules for the vaxxed and the unvaxxed.

If an NFL team is forced to forfeit a game and paychecks over positive tests, don't be surprised when the players rise up and overthrow DeMaurice Smith, the worst union head in the history of professional sports.

Let's hope it happens to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady is the perfect person to lead the revolution.

[C1]

Couch: Cam Newton, unvaccinated players should focus their ire on NFL players’ union



I can save the NFL Players Association a lot of time in its investigation into Urban Meyer and his comments that he factored players' COVID vaccination status into his final player cuts.

The NFLPA sounded awfully strong and indignant. But here is my three-part advice to the NFLPA on how to get its investigation done in mere seconds:

Look in a mirror.
Point.
Say "Guilty."
Investigation over.

The NFLPA created this mess. At the very least, it could have stopped it. And now it claims to want to know whether teams across the NFL were dumping players for not having taken the jab? Well, they were. All of them were.

"Everyone was considered," said Meyer, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. "That was part of it — production, let's start talking about this. And also is he vaccinated or not? Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration."

Meyer is new to the NFL and hasn't yet grasped the concept of going along and getting along. So he keeps doing things such as trying out Tim Tebow at tight end when there might be hundreds of union dues-paying failed tight ends who would've liked the chance.

If the NFLPA is upset with Meyer, it's only because he didn't offer the savvy that New England coach Bill Belichick did when he was asked if Cam Newton's vaccination status played a role in his release.

"No," Belichick fibbed.

Of course it did.

The league's protocols are much more stringent for players who haven't been vaccinated than for those who have.

For one, unvaccinated players have to be tested at a team site every day. Vaccinated players have to be tested just once a week. There are all sorts of protocols like that, including that unvaccinated players are more likely to have to skip playing time or be put on the COVID list and made to sit out.

That makes unvaccinated players worth less than vaccinated ones.

The NFL wanted these rules, but the league is in this for the league's best interest. It is a PR benefit to be proactive on COVID, and also owners have legit concerns about losing players to COVID. Lose too many and you can't play a game, or maybe can't make the playoffs. If you can't play because too many unvaccinated players get COVID, then your team might forfeit. If it's because vaccinated players get it? The game is likely rescheduled.

But the NFLPA is there to represent the players, not the league's interests. Yet the NFLPA went along with the NFL's suggested rules and protocols.

Without data, I'd say it's safe to guess that at least 50% of the players didn't want the vaccine. In agreeing to the NFL's plan, the NFLPA set up a lower class of NFL citizens.

It's hard to know what the NFLPA and executive director DeMaurice Smith stand for. A union is supposed to stand firmly against a strong-arming boss. Personally, I like the NFL's COVID rules because the players retain their rights while being pressured into getting the jab.

But I can't see any way possible that a union would like this.

Is the NFLPA trying to get everyone vaccinated? I don't think so, as it rejected that plan from the NFL. Is it trying to say that it knows better than the players about COVID? How are the players' desires reflected?

Coaches would have to consider vaccination status. If a vaccinated player is found to have COVID, he'd be subjected to less time away than an unvaccinated one.

Coaches are just trying to win football games. That requires as much continuity and reliability as possible.

The Jaguars tried to clean up Meyer's mess by denying that vaccination status was a factor. Then they winked and said it was.

"Availability is one of the many factors taken into account when making roster decisions."

Yes, and vaccinated players have much more availability than unvaccinated ones. Cam Newton had to sit out from the Patriots for five days because he got his test at the wrong place. Had he been vaccinated, he wouldn't have needed a daily test and presumably would have been available.

No matter how the Jaguars phrase it, one plus one still equals two.

Vaccination is considered, like experience or speed, or whether a player is injury-prone.

"I would just point out that I don't know what the number is — you guys can look it up, you have the access to a lot of information — but the number of players, coaches, and staff members that have been infected by COVID in this training camp who have been vaccinated is a pretty high number," Belichick said. "So I wouldn't lose sight of that."

Well, ESPN reported that the league's numbers say 68 of 7,190 tests among players and staff were positive in the first three weeks of August. And the rate of positive tests among the unvaccinated was seven times higher than among the vaccinated.

But this isn't an argument about the vaccine. It's about the extra time on what's basically a COVID injury list that an unvaccinated player is subject to.

Even an anti-vaxxer coach would have to consider that.

A team might overlook that to keep a star player. But the players fighting for a roster spot at all, the ones who need their union's help the most?

They're the ones most likely to lose their jobs. The NFLPA made sure of that.