The one knock that somehow keeps coming up is that Aaron Rodgers’ personality is well, not as exciting as his play. Since his game appears to be borderline flawless, some Turdvilles have latched on to the fact that Rodgers tends to remain calm and level-headed despite every opportunity to completely lose control of his emotions. Like Tim Duncan or Albert Pujols, all Aaron Rodgers does is perform at an incredibly elite level but the man can’t even take a moment to impersonate the Governator or crack a good fart joke at the presser. What the hell?Of course I have to take this criticism with a grain of salt because it usually comes from A) casual fans or B) Favre fans. But it did get me thinking – if Aaron Rodgers is among the best players in all of pro sports but has one of the worst personalities (supposedly), who would his opposite? In other words, who might suck on gameday but could MC a roast of the great Don Rickles that night? Who, my friends, is sports’ Most Valuable Personality (MVP)?
Bubba Smith. Sure he played nine seasons in the NFL, but what he’s most known for is playing hulkish officer Hightower in the Police Academy series, aka the Gutenberg years.
Bob Uecker. A self-proclaimed awful player during his time, Uecker actually made it into the baseball HOF as an announcer. For over 30 years, Bob has been the voice behind the mic for own Milwaukee Brewers. Along the way, he yucked it up in Mr. Belvedere, awesome Miller Lite commercials, and even became most memorable sports announcer in the history of cinema. Folks, this guy is not only a Wisconsin classic, he is also a national treasure.
Jeremy Kapinos. Rumor is that our very own Packer punter is known for his hysterical practical jokes around the locker room. I heard that one of his favorite things to do is tell people they are cut during training camp. When they start to breakdown or go ballistic, Kapinos announces, “Just Kidding!” and gives them a business card that says, “You’ve just been fooled out of your jockstrap by Jeremy “Just Kidding” Kapinos. Now available for corporate events and private parties.” Just what I heard.
OK, so Rodgers is more likely to show up on the MVP or Super Bowl stage before the Saturday Night Live stage. So what? I can’t even believe I feel like I have to reiterate this, but THAT IS A GOOD THING. There is no such thing as a perfect athlete and we’ve learned that no athlete is untouchable. If it’s not their performance, it’s their personality. If it’s not their personality, it’s their behavior, and so on. But if you’d rather have someone who specializes in showmanship over leadership, you may need to question whether winning really is that important to your team. Give me Rodgers any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Maybe it's because he hasn't wept at a retirement press conference yet?
ReplyDeleteAaron Rodgers is a comic genius to rival the great Andy Kaufman; who disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, referring to himself instead as a "song and dance man."
ReplyDeleteHow do I know this? Two words . . .
MOUSTACHE!!!
A man who grows facial hair to entertain himself is a man after the hearts and minds of true Packer fans. Staring into those lazer sharp eyes is that much better when a moustache is just inches away.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the Family Guy episode where Peter grows a moustache? Men with moustaches belong to an exclusive society.
ReplyDeleteOne of the classics. Seeing that episode is an important step toward understanding the human condition. It informes us who we are and where we are headed. Its an integral part of modern western society.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it was on last night. T to the B to the S baby!
I would like to admit here on this forum that I do indeed grow facial hair for my own entertainment but also because this is WI and FUCK its cold... "well Chris there may be more lap sitting then there has been and I might answer most of your questions with a story but mostly my mustache tells people that there is 90% chance that I am poorly educated, that I keep upscale porn magazines out in the open and that I listen to the Little River Band with giant headphones.
ReplyDelete