Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has called out a fan who screamed an offensive remark during a moment of silence prior to his game Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
A moment was observed before the start of all of Sunday’s NFL games to pay tribute to the memories of the over 100 people killed in terrorist attacks in Paris, France on Friday. According to video obtained by Deadspin, a fan yelled “Muslims suck” during the moment of silence at the Packers game, which drew an angry reaction from some fans, including one who shouted back: “Have some respect!”
In his post-game press conference, Rodgers expressed his own displeasure with the incident. “I was very disappointed with whoever the fan was who made a comment that I thought was really inappropriate during the moment of silence,” Rodgers said. “It’s that kind of prejudicial ideology that I think puts us in the position that we’re in today as a world.”
Moments of silence were also disrupted during the Seattle Seahawks-Arizona Cardinals game and the New York Giants-New England Patriots games, where what appears to have been lone fans shouted: “ISIS sucks.”
For his part, Rodgers has not shied away from taking stands on controversial issues in the past. When religiously devout Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson suggested his victory over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game earlier this year was God’s will, Rodgers took issue with injecting divinity into sporting events.
“I don’t think God cares a whole lot about the outcome,” Rodgers said at the time. “He cares about the people involved, but I don’t think he’s a big football fan.”
Adam Howard