Not only am I a Green Bay Packers fan living in Chicagoland, but I also married into a family filled with Bears fans. I actually proposed to my wife mere minutes before the 2010 Packers/Bears NFC Championship game. It was a fantastic day!
Over the three and a half years that we’ve been married, many interesting conversations have come up at the dinner table concerning the Green & Gold, so I thought I’d sit down with my brother in-law and get his thoughts on a few topics having to do with the Packers. For our first conversation, we talked about quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Jordan: What is the first thought that comes to your mind when I say the words “Aaron Rodgers?”
Eric: Hopeless…for the Bears. Honestly, it’s like comparing him to LeBron James and all the grief that he’s given to the Bulls over the years. It’s so frustrating. And it’s even more frustrating to look back at all the quarterbacks the Bears have had over the years while the Packers transition right from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. I mean, are you kidding me?
J: How would you describe Rodgers’ play on the field?
E: He’s a smooth operator. He keeps it tight in the pocket and only scrambles when he has no other option. It’s amazing how well he and his receivers are on the same page. He can look over at Jordy, give him a wink, and Jordy knows to change his route – which then results in a 70-yard touchdown, more often than not. He never seems to panic inside or outside of the pocket, and even has the legs to scramble for 20 yards if given the chance. Unlike Cutler, Rodgers shows the right amount of emotion on and off the field as well. Probably why Olivia Munn likes him so much, right?
J: Who on the Bears would you trade in order for the organization to acquire Rodgers?
E: No one. In Chicago, we’re all about loyalty. He has disrespected us with his play for far too long, so I wouldn’t want him on our team. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t a true Bears fan. True Bears fans don’t want handouts; we want to rise to the challenge set before us. We don’t want your quarterback.
J: Who do you dislike more? Favre or Rodgers?
E: Gotta go with Rodgers. Now that Favre has retired, it’s permissible to respect him and everything he did in his career. Rodgers is the current quarterback, so it’s hard not to dislike him more at the moment. It’s hard to like and respect the guy who’s beating you.
J: What play by Rodgers sticks in your mind the most?
E: It wasn’t really a play that Rodgers was too involved in, but the play against the Bears in Week 17 of the 2013 season where Peppers knocked the ball forward out of Rodgers’ hand and no one knew that it was a fumble. I think (Jarrett) Boykin managed to pick it up and score after being screamed at by his teammates. That play was so bogus. Oh yeah, and I also liked the play where Shea McClellin broke his collarbone.
J: Personally, I thought you’d go with the Week 17 game where Rodgers came back from said broken collarbone to find a wide open Randall Cobb for the touchdown on 4th down to seal the game and win the NFC North.
E: Oh yeah, and that one… Thanks for the refresher.
J: In your personal life, what would you give up to have Rodgers off the Packers?
E: I’d be willing to give up a lot. If it was a late-season game with the division on the line, I would give up my bank account if it meant that Rodgers would be sitting on the bench. I would be a hero! And if I saw him in person would I try to take him out at the knees? I’d consider it.
Well, despite Eric’s attitude towards Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in general, we were both able to attend the 2015 Draft in Chicago without any hard feelings. I even got to show him the Packers’ four, Super Bowl rings. And I’m pretty sure four is greater than one.
