Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Dominic Calvert-Lewin & Aaron Rodgers
Every week we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.
HIT - DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
‘Football is a man’s game’ we are often told.
To this day the most popular sport in the world still suffers from a gender bias that classifies it as a masculine – as opposed to neutral (tennis) or feminine (netball) – sport. Whilst in recent years we have seen tangible progress in the development of the women’s game, these barriers still exist at every echelon of the global football pyramid.
Often revolving around how male and female footballers dress, these barriers are no more evident than at the very top of football’s international governing body.
For instance, during his time at the helm of FIFA, disgraced president Sepp Blatter suggested that female players should play in ‘tighter shorts’ befitting of the more feminine attire seen in sports such as volleyball.
Such outdated stereotypes and clichés are intrinsically linked to the systemic sexism and homophobia that have plagued football’s fan culture since the sport’s globalisation.
It must be noted, however, that outspoken female personalities such as Megan Rapinoe have helped to challenge these gendered and homophobic tropes over the last few years. Yet, with the exception of Josh Cavallo, who recently became the world first active top-flight footballer to come out as gay, prominent male voices within the game are few and far between.
Step forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Calvert-Lewin made headlines this week as he took to Instagram to reveal himself as the cover star for the 56th issue of Homme+, a prestigious men’s fashion magazine that counts David Beckham as one of many footballers to have graced its front page.
Dressed in a Prada suit featuring black flared shorts, a white polka-dot shirt, and clutching a Chanel bag, the England and Everton striker polarised opinion wearing what has been criticised as a ‘schoolgirl’s outfit’.
The look was crafted by celebrity stylist Harry Lambert, who aims to make an impact with his approach by pushing boundaries surrounding gender.
Lambert, whose clients also include Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, said: “It’s really exciting to work with someone like Dominic; he’s got three Chanel handbags that he carries around with him. I know how toxic football can be, but he just doesn’t give a shit. He’s a guy who’s interested in fashion – that’s who he is. It’s just fab.”
Similarly, Alex Culvin, who manages player relations at FIFPRO, tweeted: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin actively challenges and breaks down hyper-masculine gender norms that dominate men’s football through his fashion choices. And I’m here for it! Football needs more, not less of this. The criticisms are fundamentally built on and exhibit homophobia.”
For Calvert-Lewin himself, fashion allows him to express himself with the freedom that doesn’t often come with being a professional footballer.
“As a footballer you’re so in a routine, and you do the same things every day. It’s that bit of freedom. If you want to wear a suit for no reason, why not?” he told The Face magazine.
In the interview, the 24-year-old also attributed his statement clothes as the key to expanding his worldview.
He said: “In getting the stick for dressing a bit different, when I see someone dressed in something I wouldn’t wear, I don’t judge anymore. I just appreciate that the person is comfortable and confident wearing that.”
“When you do something out of the ordinary or, not what everyone else does, you're told to focus on training, not on fashion, or stuff like that,” he told HIGHSNOBIETY. “So I think people are a little bit afraid to go against the grain.”
Modestly, Calvert-Lewin is reluctant to accept the impact of his image on his legion of fans, considering his style merely a personal choice.
Nevertheless, in the build-up to the Homme+ shoot, the Sheffield native discussed his influence off the pitch on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“It’s just a way of expressing myself and something I enjoy,” he explained. “It's a confidence that I have on the pitch and as I've matured into the player I am, I have matured off the pitch into not really caring about what people think too much and the clothes I put on my back. I’m just being me."
MISS – AARON RODGERS
Whether they like it or not, sports stars are role models and their words and actions have an impact on more than just their own reputation.
How they conduct themselves can have an impact on commercial partnerships, both individually and for the team or organisation that they represent – and they have the ability to both inspire or do damage in equal measure.
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the 2020 league MVP, has found out the hard way that a lack of authenticity and truth can have long-lasting effects and create more than just mild uproar.
Rodgers was popular, remember. A 2020 survey revealed that just 8% of respondents had a negative opinion of Rodgers, who has a reputation for regularly taking opposition defences apart.
With Covid-19 still causing widespread concern, the NFL is keen to ensure that players do not put themselves at unnecessary risk which may lead to the season being delayed.
The National Football League (NFL) does not mandate players to get vaccinated, but Covid protocols are easier on vaccinated players.
Earlier in the summer, Rodgers was asked whether he had received the Covid-19 vaccine and said he had been “immunised,” which turned out to be semantics that did not tell the full story.
The situation blew up when Rodgers tested positive for Covid-19 and it became clear that he had been lying about receiving the vaccination.
When given a chance to defend himself for not being vaccinated, Rodgers claimed he had “an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines” and was scared about the possible side effects from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He said the decision to seek alternative treatments was “what was best for my body.”
Rodgers said he had previously tried to petition the NFL that his homeopathic treatment for increasing antibodies should be considered as an alternative to getting fully vaccinated.
He said that the NFL knew he was unvaccinated, and he had multiple conversations with NFL doctors and had always followed the strict NFL protocols for unvaccinated players, having been tested over 300 times before testing positive.
Rather than get the vaccines, Rodgers said he consulted with alternative podcaster Joe Rogan and used a number of unproven fringe Covid treatments including ivermectin.
He later apologised, telling the Pat McAfee Show that: “I misled some people about my status, which I take full responsibility of, those comments. But in the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about. I stand behind the things that I said.
“I realise I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now, so before the final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I’d like to set the record straight on some of the blatant lies that are out there about me now.
“I’m not an anti-vax, flat-earther. I have an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines. I found a long-term immunization protocol to protect myself and I’m very proud of the research that went into that.”
Rodgers may have come out of the initial scandal relatively unscathed before admitting that he was relying both on his own research and the advice of Rogan, whose views on many topics bear scrutiny.
The NFL fined Rodgers and teammate Allen Lazard each $14,650, and the Packers $300,000 for violations of protocols, including Rodgers appearing unmasked at news conferences.
“We respect the League’s findings and we recognize the importance of adherence to the COVID protocols to keep our team and organization safe and healthy,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said. “We will continue to educate the team regarding the importance of the protocols and remain committed to operating within the protocols.”
Criticism rained on Rodgers from many quarters, with basketball legend and writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar comparing Rodgers to the treatment Colin Kaepernick received for taking the knee.
"Because that’s what you did, Aaron. You lied to everyone," Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw told pregame viewers on "Fox NFL Sunday."
Rodgers, however, is now in danger of losing many of his lucrative endorsement deals.
State Farm commercials featuring Rodgers were cut and Prevea Health announced that it had ended a nine-year partnership with him.
Clearly Rodgers knew his approach could become his legacy, so it was little surprise that he apologised for his initially bullish response.
Speaking again on The Pat McAfee Show, he said: “I shared an opinion that’s polarizing. I get it.
"I understand that this issue, in general, is very charging to a lot of people because we are talking about public health. I totally respect that.
“I made a decision that was in the best interest based on consulting with my doctors. And I understand that not everybody is going to understand that necessarily. But I respect everybody's opinion. But in the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about.”
Without Rodgers, the Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 13-7 but he was cleared to return to the field last weekend and then helped them to a 17-0 victory against the Seattle Seahawks this past weekend, throwing an interception in the end zone in the third quarter.
What damage is done to his longer-term reputation remains to be seen.
Rodgers deserves some credit for undertaking interviews himself rather than hiding behind statements, but perhaps his defensive declarations underline the importance of expert public relations advice to ensure a balance between authenticity and how to share your views in a way that does more harm than good.