R-E-L-A-X #AaronRodgers is just good not great

For nearly five years Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been hailed as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. The same dude who couldn’t beat out the legend who threw the most interceptions in NFL history in three failed attempts is now thought of as an eventual inductee into the NFL Hall of Fame.

However, the Rodgers hype does not match the resume. After only one Lombardi trophy it seems that all rational and reason has gone out the window. With each Packers win the Rodgers love affair has gotten more and more out of hand. The early round playoff exits and the poor decision making in clutch moments have been ignored by the masses year in and year out. The criticisms are deflected onto others not named Rodgers on a regular basis.

However, if things do not improve and I mean quick Rodgers may be demoted from great to a very good player and eventually to average which may mean no Hall of Fame. Like a lot of past players, Rodgers has had some good years however greatness is defined by consistent dominance in spite of age, systems, injuries and weapons. True greatness does not rely on the play of others but instead raises the level of play of those around them. That’s how Tom Brady and Drew Brees stamped their tickets to Canton, by winning in spite of their team’s glaring deficiencies.

This season Rodgers has gotten exposed, without wideout Jordy Nelson, the highest paid quarterback in the league has looked rather pedestrian. In spite of the poor play recognition, errand throws, and poor decision making no one has dared to consider that Rodgers may not be all that great. The Lambeau faithful have blamed everyone but ’12’. After each loss the  fans and pundits blamed a different position group. One week it was a poor o-line; another week it was wideouts; and so on and so on. Since Coach McCarthy has now taken over the play calling, there is no one else to blame but ’12’. If Rodgers truly needs Nelson to be great maybe he is not great after all. Maybe Rodgers is just a product of great system. Maybe Nelson or Coach McCarthy should get the bust in Canton instead of him.

Rodgers legacy will be on the line when the Packers travel to D.C.  for the first round of the playoffs. If Rodgers makes another early first round exit then his days of being a bad man are all but over and the chants of him being overrated will grow louder.  Have we seen the last of that bad man? Or is there still fight in him yet? R-E-L-A-X Stay tuned…I know I will. – A. Denmark

 

 

 

NFL Veteran Reality Check: Signed today, cut tomorrow

Unlike wine which only gets better with time the time span of an NFL athlete has an expiration date. No matter how intensity the veterans off season workout may be every player on the gridiron will lose the battle to father time. Each year the NFL get an infusion of new faces, fresh legs, and new talent and in  order to make room for the next group of stars veterans are forced to either retire, be cut, or waived. The franchise cornerstones of fans favorite teams struggle accepting this inevitable fate and often fail to leave with their pride intact.

The NFL waiver wire is filled with players who have collected their fair share of honors at the height of their career who are now unemployed looking for work. Even Canton-bound Hall-of-Famers like former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and 2011 Defensive MVP Charles Woodson must find a new home place to finish the final years of their career.

The brutality and sheer violence of the NFL game played on the gridiron is nowhere near as intense as the cold truths issued out by an NFL franchise front office. At the prime of a franchise player’s career he can do no wrong but with each new acquisition or draft selection the same player many viewed to be irreplaceable will one day be deemed an expendable asset.

Although a few of the former All-Pro players will receive another chance at stardom, majority of them will be forced to accept the reality that their time in the NFL is done. Which veteran who once filled stadiums and excited masses will be left waiting in vain for that call that will never come? Ex- Pittburgh Steelers linebacker, James Harrison? Ex – New York Jets linebacker Byron Scott? Ex- Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney? Ex- Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner?  In time the answer to these questions and more will be revealed because in the NFL its not the guy in pads but the guy in the tailored suit with matching cuff-lings who will end their career in the NFL. Stay tuned… I know I will – A. Denmark

Anthony Denmark is a writer for eatdrnkslpsprtz.com. Follow him on Twitter@eatdrkslpsprtz2, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. Listen to eatdrnkslpsprtz radio Tues/Thurs 630 EST & Sat 1030 EST