Cleveland, OH
Aaron Rodgers Insists He's Not a Sandy Hook Truther
Aaron Rodgers’ storied NFL career has recently been overshadowed by his headfirst dive into vaccine conspiracy theories. The backlash to the prospective Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential pick reached a fever pitch this week in the wake of a report that the Jets quarterback is also a Sandy Hook truther.
On Thursday, Rodgers responded to a CNN report featuring interviews with two individuals — including CNN’s Pamela Brown — who told the outlet that the Super Bowl champion claimed Sandy Hook was staged. “Sandy Hook never happened … All those children never existed. They were all actors,” Rodgers reportedly said.
Rodgers pushed back on the idea that he is a Sandy Hook truther, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that he is “on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place.”
“I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community,” he added.
The report goes into detail on Rodgers’ alleged views on the 2012 massacre in which 26 people — including 20 children between six and seven years old — were murdered by a mass shooter.
According to CNN’s Pamela Brown, who met Rodgers at the 2013 Kentucky Derby, the quarterback claimed to her that the shooting had been an inside job orchestrated by the government, and lambasted the news media for intentionally ignoring the reality of the story.
Brown said she attempted to question Rodgers on what evidence he had to prove his claims, and that he shared various debunked theories. At one point, Rodgers allegedly asked her what she thought about false claims that government officials dressed in black were hiding in the woods behind the school.
Another source, whose identity was not revealed to protect their anonymity, said that years ago Rodgers told them that “Sandy Hook never happened … All those children never existed. They were all actors,” and that the parents of the murdered children were “making it up. They’re all actors.”
Unfortunately, vile conspiracies have become a mainstay of Rodgers’ persona. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the athlete had been tapped as a potential vice presidential pick by fellow conspiracy theorist and presidential hopeful RFK Jr. The two men have little in common aside from a shared love for imagining sinister government plots and spreading misinformation. It’s unclear if Rodgers was offered the position formally. RFK Jr. says he will reveal his VP pick on March 26.
If Rodgers were to be offered and accept the position, it would likely have deep implications for his athletic career. It could also have implications for RFK Jr. Mediaite reported on Thursday that some of his donors have threatened to ditch him if he taps the quarterback to be his running mate.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost general manager Mike Gansey after his promotion to president of basketball operations with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Now Cleveland’s president of basketball operations, Koby Altman, and owner Dan Gilbert must find a replacement for Gansey.
The good news is that the replacement search should be somewhat easy, as the team already has a qualified candidate in waiting.
Assistant general manager Brandon Weems should be promoted.
Weems joined the organization in 2015, but his Cleveland roots run much deeper than that. He’s an Akron native that played high school basketball at St. Vincent St. Mary High School. You guessed it, he’s childhood friends with free agent superstar LeBron James. They played peewee football together before going on to win multiple state championships in high school basketball.
But this is a hire that would do more than pander to James, who is still contemplating his NBA future according to several reports. It would continue Cleveland’s internal stability. Altman has developed a culture of consistency, calculated decision making and player development. Weems has been around the organization from its championship-winning season in 2016 through the rebuilding years and into an Eastern Conference championship contender.
After Weems was done playing, he started a coaching journey at Kentucky under John Calipari. He spent three seasons and was part of the 2012 championship-winning team. After that, he served as an assistant coach at Oakland University in Michigan.
He’s partly responsible for the success of expediting the Cavs out of the NBA Draft Lottery and into a constant playoff contender.
Consistently being promoted within the organization, Weems oversees Cleveland’s amateur scouting efforts. He also has scouting duties at the college and international ranks. Weems is also responsible for assisting Gansey with NBA Draft preparation, from scouting to player rankings and information gathering on each prospect.
The Cavs have consistently drafted well since Weems joined the organization. Outside of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, the Cavs also have more recently hit on Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor.
The elephant in the room – LeBron
According to Altman, the Cavaliers plan on running this thing back. At his end of season media availability, Cleveland’s president of basketball operations stated his belief in winning a championship with Mitchell as the team’s best player. He sounded committed to Mobley, James Harden and Jarrett Allen.
While keeping the core intact, another obvious move would be pursuing LeBron in free agency. According to reports, James felt “unappreciated” at times throughout the season by the Los Angeles Lakers organization.
Desperate for a championship, the Cavs wouldn’t take LeBron’s mindset for granted. It’s a reunion that makes plenty of sense.
Weems’ connection with LeBron is obvious. It would be a hire that would move the organization another step closer to winning a championship, especially if they land LeBron. But Weems would also be a great partner for Altman to drive the Cavaliers forward into the future, too.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland EMS responded to a report for a gunshot wound early Saturday morning.
According to EMS, the report was for the 2800 block of Woodbridge Aveune around 2:40 a.m.
When EMS arrived, an 18-year-old woman was pronounced dead on scene and a 25-year-old man was transported to MetroHealth in critical condition.
According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, the victim was identified as 18-year-old Joshay Andrews, of Cleveland.
19 News has made call outs to Cleveland Police for more information on the shooting and if any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
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