A day after Hub Arkush announced that he would not cast his NFL MVP vote for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Chicago veteran admitted he made a "mistake" in disclosing that he would not vote for the public. How to make plans
"I made a big mistake," Arkush said Wednesday on Chicago's 670 The Score radio station. "As far as what happened last night, that's on me. I screwed up."
Arkush said his mistake had "nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers," but he failed to "respect" Cardinal Rule as one of 50 voters who cast ballots for the Associated Press's annual NFL Awards : Do not disclose your voting plans.
"The only thing they really ask of us is that we don't tell people who we voted for until the prize is presented. What they really mean is don't talk about it, and that's it. The reason, in part, is what actually happened here, he said, putting other voters in an "unfortunate" position. "I feel terrible about it and I really wish it hadn't happened. "
Arkush continued: "The only thing I can do going forward is respect which I failed to honor last night and I don't talk about it until the awards are given."
On Tuesday, Arkush said he would not vote for the league's current MVP because Rodgers' "unfair" off-field issues affected his on-field performance.
"I don't think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team, and your organization, and your fan base and be the most valuable player," Arkush said on 670 The Score radio station. "Has he been the most valuable on the field? Yeah, you could argue that, but I don't think he's obviously any more valuable than Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp or maybe even Tom Brady. So from where I sit, Rest because he's not going to be my favorite."
She continued: "I think the way he's carried himself is unfair. I think he's a bad guy, and I don't think a bad man can be the most valuable man at the same time. "
In his Wednesday news conference, Rodgers took issue with Arkush's initial comments and plan of action.
"I think he's a bum," Rodgers said. "I think he's a complete bum. He doesn't know me. I don't know who he is. Until yesterday's comments, probably, no one knew who he was.
"I heard his comments, but he had made up his mind in the summer, in the off-season, that I had zero chance of winning MVP, in my opinion future votes should be excluded."
After grabbing headlines for his argument, Arkush on Wednesday explained that his words were being "presented in a way that was not stated," for which he took ownership.
"Some of it sounds awful because I didn't say exactly what I wanted to say," Arkush said on Wednesday. "You only own it and I own it. We'll see where it goes next. There's really nothing more to say on this."
It is not clear whether Arkush will retain his vote.
In a statement to NBC Sports, the NFL clarified that the league "does not select voters or oversee any element of the process," adding that the MVP is "one of the annual Associated Press awards."