Simply Fascinating (To Me, At Least...)
By PackerAaron
While it is a bit sad that Corey and I won't be doing another podcast until April for what I'm SURE will be an exciting Special Draft Episode of Packer Transplants, I will not miss my late night hour and a half subway ride home every week after conclusion of the recording process. It's a long, lonely trip back to Astoria on the A and then N that stretches out before me every week. Getting up there is fun, especially as the A Train runs express around rush hour. But every week, as I leave Corey's place, I secretly dread the devastatingly long, lonely journey home. I usually hunker down with my IPod Touch and watch some recent Packer game or catch up on my reading (I can't recommend this enough).
It was on my journey home last night that I came across this post-game presser with Aaron Rodgers, and there was one moment that I must have watched, and I am not exaggerating, at least 20 times. Forward the video to the 3:47 mark, where you find the following exchange (and I am transcribing to the best of my ability in an office where I can't really hear the reporters at all and Rodgers just barely - I'm mostly doing this from memory):
- Q: Do you think you've stepped out of Brett Favre's shadow?
- A: No.
- Q: Do you think you ever will?
- A. Not to...not to some people. (pause) To be honest with you, I don't really worry about that stuff (pause) Maybe ask some of the fans... (slight smirk while he takes a drink of water...)
I'm sorry - I know I am just a monstrous geek here, but the above exchange is fascinating. He so clearly DOES "think about that stuff" and so clearly has a million opinions on the subject. But he is also the anti-Favre when it comes to the press. Where Favre would ramble and go on and on for 15 minutes answering questions of that nature, Rodgers sticks to Crash Davis' Cliche playbook.
I think the 'Favre Thing' (an indolent moniker if ever there was one...) weighs much heavier on Rodgers than he will ever let on. And I look forward to the year 2058 when I am watching old NFL highlights of Rodgers' first (of three or four ;) ) Super Bowl win(s) when what will no doubt be the iconic shot from the end of that game will appear, with Rodgers doing his best Steve Young impression, yelling to his teammates "Can somebody get this monkey off my back?"
I can't wait...
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Comments (8)
January 09, 2009 at 03:08 pm
I always feel like when A-Rod speaks he is saving up for a great big "I told you so" one day. I really love his smirk. BTW, nice Crash Davis reference Meat
PackerAaron
January 09, 2009 at 03:17 pm
Why's he calling me meat? I'm the one driving a Porsche.
January 09, 2009 at 05:00 pm
"Worry about" and "think about" are two different things.
I think his play this year has already been a big "I told you so."
January 09, 2009 at 06:08 pm
It's got to be pretty unnerving to have children come up to you during training camp and tell you that you f-ing suck to your face.
I don't know what the future holds for Rodgers' playing career, but he should be able to make a mint selling his book to future NFL players--How To Handle Irrational Pressure In The NFL And Still Come Off As a Class Act.
There's no place you can even poke a hole in how he has handled this, even if you hated the guy. He's Packer People. Period.
January 09, 2009 at 11:52 pm
I forgot about the kids swearing at him during camp. I was about to type "little bastards" but the kids probably got that stuff from their parents and the parents are probably the ones posting on firetedthompsonnow.com. Anyway, you're so right L.A. - I'm proud he's a Packer and hope he stays one for a long time. I'll get to see him no matter what tho because my 17 year old daughter refers to herself as "The Future Mrs. Aaron Rodgers" so I'm sure I'll see him at family events
January 10, 2009 at 01:09 am
Ha, that's a hoot [Future Mrs. Rodgers] - I say so, cuz I got two daughters, who are a bit older, but used to say those things, too.
I've pretty impressed with Rodgers ever since he played with the broken foot against the Pats, in 2006.
Then, he almost pulled it off, down in Dallas. I seriously thought he might be pulling another Majik Man act there for awhile. Majik was the last Packer QB to beat Dallas in Texas Stadium, 1991.
All the Packers need to do is get the man some protection, like what Aikman had, or what we've seen for Brady over the years. Simple as that. Let's see a Packer QB get all day in the pocket fer a change!
January 10, 2009 at 07:57 am
And some things never happen! (detroit. cleveland)
January 10, 2009 at 06:13 pm
Already waiting for the next Podcast.
Cracks me up to see you writing about traveling to Astoria. I used to live south of Trenton and take the train into Penn Station 5 days a week. I feel you pain for your commute. It now takes me less then 10 minutes to drive anywhere in our Astoria.
Rodgers is a class act. I begin, after this season, to understand why TT was not worried about Favre coming back.