Whitlock: Aaron Rodgers and Pat McAfee cleverly defend Dave Chappelle and manhood

Add NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers to the list of people inspired by Dave Chappelle's Netflix special, "The Closer."

On Tuesday, during his regular appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," the Packers quarterback and reigning MVP went out of his way to attack the woke and cancel culture.

When McAfee engaged Rodgers in a conversation about reaction to Rodgers' end-zone celebration and taunting of Chicago Bears fans — the quarterback screamed "I own you" — Rodgers pivoted to discussing his disdain for woke culture.

"That is the state of our media and really our culture, not just media," Rodgers began. "But our culture. This woke PC culture, and if I may elaborate just slightly, if you don't mind."

The woke did not attack Rodgers for his in-your-face celebration. In fact, people celebrated it. I think Rodgers knows this. McAfee does. He eventually told Rodgers that all he saw across social media were people praising Rodgers.

Rodgers was clearly looking for an avenue to express his dislike of PC culture. He told McAfee how much he enjoyed appearing on his podcast because it gives him a platform to showcase his true personality and flex his intellectual chops.

Political correctness, woke culture, and cancel culture are dominant topics in American culture at large. Rodgers wants to talk about it. I suspect Rodgers wants to show support for Chappelle, the Harriet Tubman of closeted real men. Chappelle is freeing the mentally enslaved. Rodgers used McAfee's show as an underground railroad to intellectual freedom.

"There's a PC, woke culture that exists, and there's a cancel culture at the same time," Rodgers told McAfee. "And it's based on people's own feelings of personal miserability or just distaste for their own situations or life or just an enjoyment of holding other people down with their thumb."

Rodgers personalized his opinion and pointed out that he believes the sports media have leaned into false narratives about his personal life, his motives, and his leadership style. He insinuated that the sports media have tried to cancel him and/or diminish him with false narratives.

It's a bit of a stretch if you can't acknowledge Rodgers' true agenda. He was looking for an excuse to dump on cancel culture. McAfee is friends with Rodgers. I suspect, like a lot of friends, McAfee and Rodgers have discussed the controversy surrounding Chappelle's last comedy special. Netflix employees staged a walkout on Wednesday. They want the streaming service to pull Chappelle's show. They believe "The Closer" is hostile toward transgender people. They want Chappelle canceled.

My suspicion is Rodgers wanted to support Chappelle or Chappelle's point of view without putting himself and the Packers organization in the crosshairs of the BLM-LGBTQ-CRT Alphabet Mafia.

Rodgers is smart. He found a way to express his opinion without inviting unnecessary and distracting controversy.

"Ultimately, there's a game within the game," Rodgers said. "And in this game, there's a player and there's a game. If the player abides by the rules of the game, he's a part of the game. Now the rules of the game are you must acquiesce with the woke mob at all times. You must. However, when you live above the game, the game does not exist. That's where I'm at. These things, I realize them, I see them, but I'm not a part of this game that's being played. The game is being played out by these individuals and I see it, I hear it, but to me it's comedy."

Or it's a comedy special, "The Closer."

Rodgers is playing the game and the game within the game at the highest level.

"Back when I first got in the league and when I grew up watching it, I feel like trash talk was a little more normalized," he said. "You didn't have to apologize if you said something that offended a few people in a city."

Are you starting to hear and recognize the Chappelle?

Aaron Rodgers is moving way up on my list of favorite NFL players and quarterbacks. I'm a Kansas City Chiefs fan. I've been heartbroken by Patrick Mahomes swallowing and promoting the entire woke agenda. I've been disappointed that Tom Brady hasn't spoken on behalf of people reluctant to take the COVID vaccine. Most of these professional athletes live in fear of the social media mobs.

Rodgers and Lamar "Unvaccinated" Jackson are my two new favorite quarterbacks. I hope they face each other in the Super Bowl. If it happens, I'm not sure who I would root for. Rodgers' interview with McAfee is amazing.

"But I'm not a victim either. I don't look at myself as a victim," Rodgers said. "I don't want people to feel bad for me because of the spotlight I'm in and the platform that I have and the scrutiny that comes with it. I accept all of it. I don't have a problem with it ...

"I like to speak the truth. And I'm not a part of this woke cancel culture that gets off on trying to silence people all the time."

Thank you, Dave Chappelle. Thank you for inspiring Aaron Rodgers.