We’re well aware of how Bill Simmons and “Cousin” Sal Iacano feel about some of our headlines.
But when it comes to the latter’s rant regarding Aaron Rodgers on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, it’s hard to find a verb that does it justice.
Whether you want to say Iacano ripped, eviscerated or totally torched the New York Jets quarterback, he clearly didn’t leave much room for interpretation. While the Against All Odds host had previously been relatively reserved regarding Rodgers this season, he let it fly on Sunday as he and Simmons discussed the state of the 3-8 Jets following Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
“They have eight losses. They’re not gonna go over their win total, which is nine and a half, which I thought was preposterous anyway. I mean, my team sucks, but I knew the Jets weren’t going over nine and a half. They can’t make the playoffs,” Iacono said, before noting that Zach Wilson and Sam Darnold had higher winning percentages as the Jets’ starting quarterback than Rodgers currently does.
“Sit down, you phony,” Cousin Sal continued. “You led New York to believe you could lead them to the playoffs and you’re the fraud of all frauds. You brought all your friends in, who couldn’t catch a pass. You got the coach fired. Somehow the best defense in football isn’t excited to play for you — now they’re middle of the pack or worse. There’s gotta be some accountability.”
Iacono proceeded to acknowledge his own personal issues with Rodgers, who once seemingly implied that Iacono’s cousin, Jimmy Kimmel, was on the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients.
“Of course there’s a personal stuff where he alluded to the idea that my cousin was on the Epstein Island flight log and the list comes out and he of course wasn’t. But the guy Rodgers likely voted for was,” he said. “So classic, classic douche bag.
“And now we’re gonna see a phantom injury in the next couple weeks. So how’s that for a conspiracy theory? You like that? Sorry. Take it, smart guy. He is so damn smart. So well read. He’s gotta tell us all about it all the time. What’s he gonna do now?”
Cousin Sal on Aaron Rodgers pic.twitter.com/LaJsJRw0DE
— Stephen Douglas (@Stephen_Douglas) November 18, 2024
At this point, Cousin Sal is far from the only person in the sports media space to have grown wary of Rodgers. But unlike most, he has a personal connection to the matter, which appears to have only made the four-time NFL MVP’s downfall all the more satisfying for the former Jimmy Kimmel Live writer.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.