NEWSLETTER
That Aaron Rodgers taunt – the one where he claimed ownership of the Chicago Bears – is one of those things that will always stick with you. You’ll remember where you were, who you were with, and how much it stung to hear those words. Face it. Rodgers is 23-5 in this rivalry and hasn’t shown any signs of letting up.
And for what it’s worth, I had no issue with it. Sure, NFL players have been hit with taunting penalties for doing less this year. But that moment was the type of thing that fuels rivalries. What is sport without rivalries? And what are rivalries without villains? Rodgers plays the villain better than anyone I’ve ever seen while watching football, which is commendable.
Which makes this exchange all the more interesting.
First, from retired Bears center Olin Kreutz:
.@olin_kreutz didn’t like Aaron Rodgers' “I still own you” comment directed at the #Bears and their fans Sunday.
“I'd like to punch him in his face," Olin says.
Full interview with @mullyhaugh: https://t.co/CrV33r9gd0 pic.twitter.com/lBdBXR1TSY
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) October 18, 2021
And then, the retort from Rodgers:
"Are we getting that soft as a society where we can't have a back & forth now.. somebody can pay for a ticket & say whatever the hell they want which they should be able to but the ONE time I say something back I've disrespected an entire city & organization" ~@AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/6BNYBnPI4G
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 19, 2021
The full quote from Rodgers has me perplexed:
“I saw that Olin Kreutz say he wanted to punch me in the face. I think that is to say, I don’t know Olin. I respect him. He played in the league for a long time. Are we getting that soft as a society that we can’t have a back & forth now? Somebody can pay for a ticket and say whatever the hell they want, which they should be able to, that’s fine. But the *ONE* time I say something back to ’em that gets caught on a hot mic … now, it’s that I’ve disrespected an entire city, organization, and my own organization.”
Rodgers plays the villain card so well, he can jokingly refer to this latest one-liner in Bears-Packers history as something as a societal problem. Trying to get some sympathy love because some old head said he wanted to punch you. Hilarious. You can’t script this stuff!
Sometimes, you’ve gotta give credit where it’s due. No one plays the role of Bad Guy better than the dude wearing No. 12 in the green and yellow uniforms. Well, maybe Ian McDiarmid could do it better. And with a cooler accent. Plus with better acting chops. But that’s probably a different conversation for another day.
