Doesn’t it seem like premier athletes increasingly disappoint? Take the case of one Aaron Rodgers, who is at odds with his employer, the Green Bay Packers. I am a lifelong Packer fan and a true admirer of Rodgers the quarterback. I’m not such an admirer of Rodgers the person. I know he’s a generational arm talent, because I’ve watched his great throws that seem effortless. I know he’s intelligent, because I’ve watched him get his offense into the right play time and again – and almost always find the open receiver – and heard him give thoughtful answers to gotcha questions.
Mind you, it’s not that I don’t like Rodgers the person. He’s forged great friendships with coaches and players I respect, such as Joe Philbin and James Jones. He’s playful, witty and has an easy smile. I don’t like the kerfuffle he’s created with the employer that has made him a very rich and famous man – and there’s no way to interpret it other than petulant behavior, because every word from Rodgers and “his camp” proclaims what he does not like.
- He didn’t like former coach Mike McCarthy’s play calling and stale offense.
- He didn’t like Ted Thompson’s invest-in-the-future approach to team building (draft and develop, rather than poach and enrich big-name players)
- He didn’t like seeing veterans going un-signed after age 30
- He didn’t like being out of Brian Gutekunst’s draft-day circle of trust when they traded up for a 1st round quarterback
- He didn’t like the release of a career journeyman receiver – after he’d said nice things about the man
- He didn’t like the play call on 4th down in this year’s NFC championship game
- He doesn’t like the “philosophy…character…culture…”
Those are the chosen words of an adolescent mind that knows what it does NOT like – and why not? It’s possible to be extremely athletic and very intelligent – – and still lack maturity (AKA emotional patience) – – when one has never filled out a job application, been kept on hold about a job opening, been fired or furloughed, experienced the give and take of marriage, had to parent a child, and has the press hang on every word and made hundreds of millions.
The guess here is that many in the sporting press have experienced the REAL workplace, accommodated spouses, and lived through nights with an unconsolable child. THAT is what makes us grow up despite how much money we have or how physically stunning we are. Someone needs to call out Aaron Rodgers. It’s called caring enough to confront. It just might serve Mr. Rodgers well when reality hits – like Kareem Abdul Jabbar losing his fortune or Joe Philbin losing his son.
Rodgers is under contract (the one he signed). The Packers have not asked him to do anything illegal or life threatening. They just have not trusted him with their business-confidential plans. In fact, they treat him like they treat all their stars; where it concerns Rodgers. What a load of horse manure. They have paid him well and managed with enough expertise to put him in seven NFC championship games. But he’s not happy…boo hoo hoo!
Rodgers is excellent but not perfect. I have seen his off days. I’ve seen the visible call-outs of receivers that weren’t open. I’ve heard the flinty retorts to reporters and the passive-aggressive comments directed at those others. If he were my son, then I’d tell him to proactively change what he can (give them a dollar amount and minimum time frame), accept what he cannot change (every mistake made by everyone), and play the game he was meant to play. He will learn a valuable lesson: the greatest power is that of forgiving.