NEWSLETTER
Kenny Mayne’s last SportsCenter appearance left us with something we’ll play until the internet ceases to exist:
Good morning. pic.twitter.com/KB1f3SotA5
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 25, 2021
• Aaron Rodgers said some stuff on SportsCenter last night. And before we dive into it, I’d like to introduce the concept of kayfabe. In professional wrestling, kayfabe breaks the fourth wall in portraying a staged bit as something that’s happening in reality. And when kayfabe and reality blend, that’s when the pro wrestling stuff is at its best. I think we saw a little kayfabe last night in Rodgers’ comments. Because, sure, there’s reason for Rodgers to have beef with how things are going in Green Bay. But by handling it the way he has to this point, it blends his disgruntled state with a reality that there’s a chance this can be cleaned up by the start of the year. Honestly, Vince McMahon’s writers could learn some lessons here.
• At the crux of his commentary, Rodgers showed why there is a divide between him and the Packers. Or is there another way we’re supposed to interpret a player expressing his love for his coaches, teammates, fans, and even his heir apparent, but not explicitly mentioning management. Rodgers was pretty evasive when it came to specifics, but hearing “It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way” suggests Rodgers seems unhappy with how GM Brian Gutekunst handled the drafting of Jordan Love. Tack on Rodgers’ angle hinting that his winning the MVP last year threw off the Packers’ plans to jettison him and we’re starting to see where’s the beef.
• To that end, I couldn’t escape the feeling that Rodgers was onto something. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love if this stalemate had an extended shelf life. I’d be happy to see this drag into training camp, the preseason, and regular season. But as a sports fan, the “it’s about the people that make things go” sentiment really struck a chord with me. The worst person you know makes a good point and all that jazz.
• Forgetting the people that make things happen is something happening too much right now in modern American professional sports. It started harmlessly with front offices pitching fans on replacing a player’s numbers in a “cost-efficient” manner as a reason not to reward a previous players’ achievements. I understood what was happening and why, but I also think that was the first step toward forgetting that we’re talking about real people and the human connection. Maybe that’s not what Rodgers was specifically getting at last night, but sometimes you can accidentally stumble upon something brilliant in a sidebar.
• TL;DR — The sooner sports teams go back to treating players more like people than assets, the fewer of these public beefs we’ll see moving forward.
• I think this answer is easier than you might think:
You can only pick one. Justin Fields starts right away for the Bears or Green Bay trades Aaron Rodgers.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) May 24, 2021
• Green Bay is a fine drinking town. But I’d also choose to skip voluntary team activities to chill in Hawaii:
Aaron Rodgers skips Packers workout for Hawaiian vacation https://t.co/2o7dZjbBYQ pic.twitter.com/7gk2ZwhpWy
— New York Post (@nypost) May 24, 2021
• On the other end of the football drama spectrum is Matt Ryan, who like us, is watching the drama unfold between Julio Jones and the Falcons:
"It’s the part of the job that sucks."
Falcons QB Matt Ryan talks to @robertmays about the business of football affecting the locker room. pic.twitter.com/wTCyykUvMw
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 25, 2021
• Football nerd tweet alert:
Would scheme-up Fields just like Allen or Herbert — QBs with high-end physical tools & traits.
Define the throws off play-action. Move the pocket. Set-up the verticals. Quick passing + RPO. And the designed carries.
Fields brings a playmaking element to CHI, too. #Bears https://t.co/YswQBssiBL
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) May 25, 2021
Right. And that also allows the #Bears to use play-action + max-protection.
Create a clean platform for Fields — on throws that are designed to go deep. https://t.co/LX1XldeNAH
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) May 25, 2021
• Yeah, I can’t wait to see what new concepts are unleashed with Justin Fields running the show.
• DRAFT HIM:
@D_Hest23 son might be the greatest youth player in the world right now though lol
Swag is on a TRILLION!
He 8 or 9 years old pic.twitter.com/lM0UqhUN9c
— Will Blackmon (@WillBlackmon) May 23, 2021
• Let’s be honest, no one should *love* Kirk Cousins:
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) May 25, 2021
• Our thoughts and prayers are with this ex-Bear and his family:
This past week has been exceptionally challenging for our family. As many of you know, our son TJ has faced serious heart issues since birth. TJ has already undergone 3 open heart surgeries and has survived with a modified heart for his first 8 years of life.
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021
We are so thankful for the incredible support we have received over the years. We have received world class care at Levine Children’s Hospital and we are so appreciative of their amazing team.
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021
Thanks for everyone’s prayers.
The Olsen Family#halveaheart#playforTJ
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021
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