OFFICIAL AARON RODGERS THE LIVING LEGEND THREAD

[NewsBruin]

I think there was a lot more mixed reactions to both QBs than each of us wants to claim. Sports cable/radio depends on loudmouths (who may or may not currently be newsbreaking journalists) who choose a viewpoint (sincerely or not) and then get their army of listeners to chime in "Yeah, that's what I think!"

Sometimes, they just take some generic idea and then stick whatever current event is going on onto its pointy end.

The difference with Brett is how thirsty he was to be everyone's friend or Valentine. Aaron comes off as expecting everyone to turn on, doubt, or want something from him, so he'll blow up all his relationships in a matter of months or a few years. I was looking forward to his time in Jersey to see when the honeymoon was going to wear off.

Very little of it had anything to do with how they approached being a quarterback. The biggest thing they had in common was aging past having many friends on the roster.

[MadtownPacker]

That’s a very balanced take on it NewBru. Thank you for not being all emotional like Harlan and bobble. They both must’ve got their . at the same time.

[bobblehead]

Maybe cuz Brett left after 13-3 and had a great season excluding the last game?

What makes you the expert on if Rodgers is a jerk? I got to see it first hand the year he took over, 2008. He will always be a champion and former Packers QB. No one is wishing away the good times and you aren’t baffled you just want to be prickish. Like what I did there.

Didn't you kind of answer your own question there??

[bobblehead]

Brett Favre was a lot more likeable and the every man. Rodgers comes off as a weird dude to the every man. I still like both.

I don't know. The stories about how he treated staff at the local cafe after a night of drinking were legendary in Green Bay.

[Fosco33]

Both had huge success and huge ego.

I liked Favre and as a 12yr old incorrectly idolized him. He was a throwback warrior. But he was also a frequent cheater on his wife, kicked an addiction before the NFL would’ve suspended him in future years, the dickpic, the welfare scandal, etc. He actually retired, and cried, multiple times. And after the drafts…Then forced his way back to the team - which had to shop him off - to one year later - playing for the Vikings…

I’m not even sure how that’s remotely closed to Aaron. You can be mad about his level of expectation and make fun of him for things that many people agree with (balance, mental health, alternative medicine) and others that are controversial (but was he wrong to not take an experimental drug that now appears to be completely useless). And sure - he left his family - but we don’t know why. Yes / he was rightly pissed about the front office drafting his replacement without a common courtesy. And yes - he wanted to help drive personnel and play selections. Most of the latter he seemed to be right about based on back-back MVPs. He took ~2mo to make the last decision (before the draft) and mutually parted ways.

I’m not idolizing athletes anymore and as an NFL fan - was disappointed with his injury. I’ll never understand the opinions of others. I quite like and agree with most things that ARod says and does.

[texaspackerbacker]

Uh, having a huge ego pretty much goes with being a huge success. There's a helluva lot more humble losers than there are humble successes, even percentage-wise hahahaha.

As for idolizing Favre (and Rodgers too), you and others damn well should. All that shit you mentioned is 1. totally irrelevant and unimportant compared to the greatness on the field and 2. amplified if not outright made up by the God damned shitheads of the media who live to dig up crap like that and fling it around - against everybody, but mostly against the most successful.

And maybe idolizing is the wrong word. Acknowledging and respecting the results on the field and mostly ignoring the irrelevant shit, that's what ought to be fans' outlook on the whole situation.

[Fosco33]

I’d say that’s where I’ve been since Favre, Tex.

[RashanGary]

There are a lot of things i admire and respect more than being good at football.

I still do appreciate what they’re able to do, just not gonna fawn over them being great guys.

[Fritz]

I was curious, like NewsBruin, about how long until the sheen wore off in NY. But as I've said, I'm confident this is exactly the kind of motivation Rodgers thrives on - he'll build it up so everyone's counting him out and done, and he'll rehab his ass off to come back next season, maybe midway through, and try to lead them to the playoffs and a title. Heck, he might've bought Saleh another season, if the Jets do reasonably well this year.

I can see Rodgers's mind going to that narrative and busting his ass to make that happen.

If he does come back, say mid-season next year, that means he's only got eight or so games to rub everyone the wrong way and start rolling his eyes at his receivers and all that. He might be able to contain himself for eight games.

But I have a feeling by then I won't really care so much any more. The Packers get a second rounder, and that's a bummer.

I don't think Rodgers is a great person - seems arrogant and judgemental - but he's not a mother raper or a father raper or a child raper, so he's a better person than a few NFLers who've passed through the league over the course of history.

And really, truth be told, if a player is a great player, everyone will forgive whatever kind of human being he is, as long as he's good. Heck, I still think Ahman Green was one of the best running backs I've ever seen - love the guy - but he beat on his wife and was apparently therefore not a super stellar dude. So why do I like him more than Rodgers?

Because I'm a flawed human being. A little fucked up.

[sharpe1027]

Fritz, I get that logic. My take? Rodgers is done. Even if he comes back, he hasn't show commitment to working hard for several years. It's not likely to flip a switch that easily for an extended period of time. Possible? Yeah. Likely? I don't think so.

[MadScientist]

Fritz, I get that logic. My take? Rodgers is done. Even if he comes back, he hasn't show commitment to working hard for several years. It's not likely to flip a switch that easily for an extended period of time. Possible? Yeah. Likely? I don't think so.

I don't think the work will be the limiting factor. He will come back, unless there is some problem with his recovery. However, unless the Jets somehow put together a dominating Oline, Rodgers tendency to hold the ball for the perfect play will get him battered, bruised and broken. He will last more than 4 plays, but how much more is hard to guess.

[ThunderDan]

Fritz, I get that logic. My take? Rodgers is done. Even if he comes back, he hasn't show commitment to working hard for several years. It's not likely to flip a switch that easily for an extended period of time. Possible? Yeah. Likely? I don't think so.

ARod said the doubters and all the “happy” people about his injury were just what he needs to push through and come back on the McAfee show yesterday.

[sharpe1027]

ARod said the doubters and all the “happy” people about his injury were just what he needs to push through and come back on the McAfee show yesterday.

We'll see. I think he might come back but be a shadow of his former self. I don't want that, but I have my doubts he'll become a workout warrior and come back better than ever.

[Fritz]

We'll see. I think he might come back but be a shadow of his former self. I don't want that, but I have my doubts he'll become a workout warrior and come back better than ever.

Rodgers always seemed to need a chip on his shoulder for the motivation to bust his balls. And he’s got that now. I feel confident he’s going to work like Rashan Gary did. I don’t agree that he won’t have the mentality to do that.

I also expect you’ll see the Jest investing heavily in the offensive line next offseason, both in terms of drafting and signing free agents.

[NewsBruin]

As for idolizing Favre (and Rodgers too), you and others damn well should. All that shit you mentioned is 1. totally irrelevant and unimportant compared to the greatness on the field and 2. amplified if not outright made up by the God damned shitheads of the media who live to dig up crap like that and fling it around - against everybody, but mostly against the most successful.

Tex, are you the guy who yells 'Freebird!" at every concert?

Brett (and Bus Cook) had plenty of backchannels and reporters on speed dial during his playing days. There was never a production meeting or a night-before reporters' dinner that didn't have a place setting for him. I only spent one summer full-length in Wisconsin, but I kept up online, and the stories were "Brett loves deer hunting on his off-day! Brett's back and healthier than ever! Brett's lightened his hair with lemon juice because his daughter asked! Brett's married his longtime girlfriend! Brett's become a better person after rehab! All the lockerroom loves Brett's down-to-earth nature and farting mastery!"

The guy more or less couch-surfed in Peter King's rec room during his quasi-retirements. The sports media practically had a candlelight vigil when Irv died.

Did you ever get a small-town paper try an exposé on Brett's nightlife? Did you hear anything other than maybe-genuine/maybe-coaxed comments from teammates about how much of a dude he was?

I get that to be a "source guy' reporter, you have to have sharp elbows, you have to sacrifice the best years of your life to always chase reactions, you have to seed GMs and agents with speculation and ideas, and you have to carry a whole lot of water from those agents to promote their clients' interests (maybe you're floating some negative gossip to kneecap their clients' competition). Access is the currency of the kingdom, and everyone in every compartment of the sports-industrial complex knows you're clawing and stepping over everyone else to extend what time you have in the spotlight.

But maybe, maybe, can you make an exception that Brett sought out the spotlight, that Brett (and Bus) used the media when it suited him, that his indiscretions were squashed as irrelevant gossip, that there was precious little fabricated or slanted, or even negative news about him until someone didn't like getting a promo pic of Little Brett and the Crocs?