Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews has spoken in support of his team-mate Aaron Rodgers for the quarterback’s eloquent rebuke of the spectator who interrupted Sunday’s silence for the Paris victims.
Rodgers said in his post-game press conference that the slur, yelled by one spectator as the rest of the stadium hushed in a moment of quiet respect, displayed “the kind of prejudicial ideology that puts us in the position that we’re in today as a world”. Deadspin reported that audio analysis indicated one fan shouted “Muslims suck”, although Rodgers did not specify the comment he was unhappy with.
Matthews on Wednesday praised the quarterback, and said Rodgers’ comment “just kind of speaks volumes to who he is.”
Matthews said: “I think it really just goes to show the level of impact we can have as athletes on not just the community but the nation and everybody who’s listening. Guys like Aaron have such a platform to share their ideals and for that time when we’re trying to have a moment of silence for the victims for somebody to say something that hateful, it just wasn’t right.
“So [as with] anytime Aaron realizes what he’s capable of doing about lending a few words here or there, he felt strongly enough to say something when obviously he was in the right. I just think it just kind of speaks volumes to who he is and what he wants to represent as well as what he wants his country to represent.”
Reports initially differed about was actually said before the Packers-Lions game, but Deadspin isolated the audio from the moment at Lambeau Field, and the phrase is clearly audible. Afterwards, one fan shouted “Have some respect”.
