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Aaron Rodgers going on darkness retreat

doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

This is bizarre, Aaron Rodgers says he is going on a darkness retreat, in which he will sit in complete darkness for four nights to help him figure out his football future.

Aaron Rodgers says he will contemplate football future by spending '4 nights in complete darkness'

It's probably safe to say no NFL player has an offseason calendar set up like Aaron Rodgers.

Step one for the Green Bay Packers quarterback was to compete in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which he won (amid some questions about a curiously high handicap). Step two, as he explained to "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, is to spend four days and nights isolated in a completely dark room.

Yes, really.

This shouldn't surprise anyone considering what we've learned about Rodgers' past use of a potent psychedelic in Peru, which he also explained on McAfee's show. Rodgers, in fact, confirmed on the same show Tuesday that he won't be using ayahuasca this offseason, but will instead do what he called a "darkness retreat" as he contemplates his NFL future:

“That’s why I think it’s going to be important to get through this week and to take my isolation retreat and just be able to contemplate all things my future and then make a decision I feel like is best for me moving forward in the highest interest of my happiness and then move forward.”

Rodgers' future in Green Bay is expected to be one of the biggest stories of the offseason. He remains under contract with the Packers through 2026 after signing an extension last year, but a rough 8-9 season has many speculating whether he will be traded. Rodgers mentioned a number of Las Vegas Raiders fans vocally lobbied him to join their team at Pebble Beach.

Rodgers also said he was still considering retiring and called rumors he didn't want to be in a Hall of Fame class with Tom Brady and J.J. Watt "bulls***." Instead, he said he is "still in the art of contemplation about my future" and will "be a lot closer to a final, final decision" after his darkness retreat.

What is Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat?
As Rodgers explained it, he will not be locked in the dark room and has been looking forward to the experience for months:

"You're not locked in, no, you can leave if you can't do it. You can just walk out the door. It's a darkness retreat. I've had a number of friends who've done it and had some profound experiences. It's something that's been on my radar for a few years now and I feel like it would be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season. It's been on the calendar for months and months and months. It's coming up in a couple weeks."

It was at that point when Rodgers was absolutely peppered with questions about the experience. Here is a selection of his answers:

"It's a room, it's a little house."

"There's a two-way slot they'll drop in some food for you, but it's isolation and darkness. No music, no nothing."

"Just myself, isolation."

"You can wear adult diapers if you want, but there's actually a bathroom."

"Yeah." [On if he really paid for this]

"You're in there for four nights and then you come out on the last day after the fourth night."

"You're in all day. All day, all day night."

"There's no float tank, that would be pretty cool though."

"It's not like you bring a journal or music or anything. There's no sounds. It's just sitting in isolation, meditation, being with your thoughts. It stimulates DMT, so there can be some hallucinations in there, but it's just kinda sitting in silence, which most of us rarely do. We rarely even turn our phone off or put the blinds down to sleep in darkness."

"I'm not scared, I've been looking forward to this as much as anything I've done."

Incredibly, the darkness retreat and the ayahuasca aren't even the wildest thing Rodgers had done during the offseason. That award likely belongs to the Panchakarma cleanse he did last year, which reportedly consists of eating nothing but ghee (clarified butter) for three days until he starts evacuating himself uncontrollably at both ends.

We don't know if or where Rodgers will be playing next season, but we definitely know the man will do what he wants when he's off the field.

Aaron Rodgers plans to spend four days with nothing but Aaron Rodgers for company.

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Comments

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    doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

    LOL. I can just see Aaron Rodgers being fed inside the room.

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Since he loves himself so much he should have a great time.

    He is just a Complete Weirdo

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Any more news or rumors about his possible landing spot? or staying in GB? It is true that at this point there is no way he can retire because of the Brady HOF thing. It's not even up for debate.

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thisistheshow said:
    Any more news or rumors about his possible landing spot? or staying in GB? It is true that at this point there is no way he can retire because of the Brady HOF thing. It's not even up for debate.

    He needs to complete his darkness retreat first

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    craig44craig44 Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Aaron Rodgers is definitely the most UN-cool guy in about any room he enters. He just tries too hard. The definition of edge-lord

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

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    DarinDarin Posts: 6,325 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:
    Aaron Rodgers is definitely the most UN-cool guy in about any room he enters. He just tries too hard. The definition of edge-lord

    He pissed off Josh Allen and other golfers at pebble beach by using a 10 handicap when apparently he is closer to a 4. That’s why his team won.
    Allen’s pro partner said ‘Rodgers score doesn’t count, his handicap is crap. 🤭

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    craig44craig44 Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Darin said:

    @craig44 said:
    Aaron Rodgers is definitely the most UN-cool guy in about any room he enters. He just tries too hard. The definition of edge-lord

    He pissed off Josh Allen and other golfers at pebble beach by using a 10 handicap when apparently he is closer to a 4. That’s why his team won.
    Allen’s pro partner said ‘Rodgers score doesn’t count, his handicap is crap. 🤭

    I hadnt heard that. So funny. yet somehow, I am not surprised.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

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    galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,149 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Darin said:

    @craig44 said:
    Aaron Rodgers is definitely the most UN-cool guy in about any room he enters. He just tries too hard. The definition of edge-lord

    He pissed off Josh Allen and other golfers at pebble beach by using a 10 handicap when apparently he is closer to a 4. That’s why his team won.
    Allen’s pro partner said ‘Rodgers score doesn’t count, his handicap is crap. 🤭

    Keith Mitchell was legit pissed

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ^^^^^^^^
    Wow. That seems like it could and should pick up steam as a sports story and hopefully be worked into questions directed at Rodgers. Is there any word on whether or not he has or will address "pebblegate" @galaxy27 ?

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @doubledragon this feels like an Aaron Rodgers story that isn't mostly fluff (no offense 😎) I need you to drop what you're doing and take the lead on this pebblegate thing... thanks in advance...

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    And yes, we are calling it pebblegate. Now get to work, DD!!!

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Calling @doubledragon

    This story has legs!

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    craig44craig44 Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I love it. pebblegate. I am in and i have my popcorn ready.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:
    I love it. pebblegate. I am in and i have my popcorn ready.

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    doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Interesting scandal indeed, Aaron Rodgers has responded to the allegations, according to him it's a case of jealousy.

    Aaron Rodgers reacts to major golf controversy:
    "There's a lot of jealousy out there."

    Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back in the news for something other than his performance on the football field.

    Rodgers and his partner, professional golfer Ben Silverman, won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday afternoon. Sports Illustrated noted that Rodgers’s handicap is registered as a 3.0 at his home course, the Green Bay Country Club. The outlet said that while all amateurs got a bump on their home handicaps due to the venue and crowd size, Rodgers’ “seemed to have gotten a bigger boost than he needed.”

    That didn’t sit well with a competitor, PGA Tour player Keith Mitchell.

    “I think Josh and I won. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t count,” Mitchell said. “His handicap was crap. I haven’t looked. I think we were, on 18 we might have been up there. But if we finish second to Aaron I consider us winning the trophy.”

    Rodgers responded to the controversy on Tuesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

    “There’s a lot of jealousy out there,” Rodgers joked before turning serious.

    “They gave me the handicap. I didn’t ask for that. I submitted all my information. I played nine times previously, and I made the cut one time…I played pretty bad at Pebble, to be honest.”

    Rodgers spoke on other issues, too, saying he was still in the “art of contemplation” about returning to the Packers next season.

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    streeterstreeter Posts: 4,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

    See DD
    Material on Rodgers never ends.

    Have a nice day
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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 8, 2023 11:43AM

    @streeter said:
    See DD
    Material on Rodgers never ends.

    And DD is on top of all of it lol

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    galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,149 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 8, 2023 12:00PM

    in Aaron's defense, sandbagging goes on all the time. Larry Fitzgerald plays in the pro-am and he's been accused of it. golf handicaps are very much an inexact science, and no one truly cares to make them exact because a) after all, it's a pro-am, and b) it's virtually impossible to do so. BUT, it is an actual tournament within the bigger tournament with winners announced and trophies involved, so it matters. if you're a competitor, naturally you want to win. Aaron Rodgers admitted that taking it down has been on his bucket list.

    and if you're reading this wondering what on God's glorious green earth is being discussed here, i present you the cliffsnotes version: your golf handicap in an indicator of what type of player you are. it's a mathematical calculation based on the number of rounds you play, where you play them, and what you actually shoot. so as you can probably surmise, it's impossible to ascertain the veracity because no one is out on a golf course in July watching Aaron and his homies play golf in Wisconsin while pounding beers. your conscience is very much your guide when submitting your scores.

    with that said, play enough times and it's not difficult to determine what type of golfer you are. Aaron tees is up in a bunch of celebrity events and has game. it's crystal clear to anyone who follows the sport. so when he's out there playing with a 10 handicap (which means that he and his pro playing partner are receiving a slew of free, unmerited strokes), i'm not at all surprised to see a pro golfer like Keith Mitchell come along and call it crap because -- news flash -- he and his partner (Josh Allen) would actually like to win themselves, and it's difficult to do so when there's some skulduggery going on.

    it's a bizarro-world scenario where you're basically conveying to everyone that you're not as good as you truly are in order to gain an advantage on the competition.........."sandbagging"

    https://www.golfdigest.com/story/larry-fitzgerald-and-his-controversial-handicap-once-again-leads-at-pebble-beach

    https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-qb-josh-allen-accuses-crap-aaron-rodgers-cheating-pebble-beach-golf-packers-handicap

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @galaxy27 you are not going to sneak in some casual sounding "whataboutism" just to distract DD from the true scent of this case.

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    galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,149 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thisistheshow

    just attempting to elucidate this matter in the improbable event that someone here genuinely cares to know the 411

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    doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think galaxy did a great job with this, the truth is, I really don't know too much about handicapping golf so I appreciate the assistance. Now, if Aaron Rodgers was cheating at boxing, then I'd be all over him like bird droppings on a car windshield.

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @galaxy27 said:
    @thisistheshow

    just attempting to elucidate this matter in the improbable event that someone here genuinely cares to know the 411

    ...
    I actually appreciate your handicap breakdown. When this story came up, I had to do some mental gymnastics in my head to figure out exactly what's going on. I have heard the term, know how it's used, but I wanted to understand it better (as in how it is calculated). So again, I liked your write up.

    I should have been more specific, the whataboutism I referenced pertains to just your first two sentences... in Aaron's defense, sandbagging goes on all the time. Larry Fitzgerald plays in the pro-am and he's been accused of it.

    It's like saying ... What about Larry Fitzgerald? He's done it too. In fact, it happens all of the time.

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    galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,149 ✭✭✭✭✭

    i totally glossed over this tweet, which was included in the article i linked above

    it's something that can either annoy you ever so slightly, or something that can elicit an inaudible chuckle

    the latter happened when i saw this

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    i don't like the way Rodgers responded. "Jealousy"?

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    Alfonz24Alfonz24 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There are 3 types of amateurs golfers.
    A. The one who puts all there scores in the handicap system correctly,
    B. The ones who only put there better rounds in (they want to brag about a low handicap),
    C. The one who puts higher scores (So they can win the cash in money games).

    In ARodg case, I can see where he might have an inflated because he does not play during regular season and the past offseason may have had an injury (or played while high).

    The best sandbagger story was about a guy who went into the pro to take lessons and asked how he could getting better without lowering his handicap.

    #LetsGoSwitzerlandThe Man Who Does Not Read Has No Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read. The biggest obstacle to progress is a habit of “buying what we want and begging for what we need.”You get the Freedom you fight for and get the Oppression you deserve.
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    Steven59Steven59 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What's Carnac doing here? :)

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    streeterstreeter Posts: 4,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What EXACTLY is wrong with playing high? The best round I ever had in college included a case of iced down Heinekens in the cart split between the two of us.

    Have a nice day
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    Steven59Steven59 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thisistheshow said:
    What's Carnac doing here? :)

    Showing Rodgers his future - :D

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Steven59 said:

    @thisistheshow said:
    What's Carnac doing here? :)

    Showing Rodgers his future - :D

    I should have guessed. Lol.

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @streeter said:
    What EXACTLY is wrong with playing high? The best round I ever had in college included a case of iced down Heinekens in the cart split between the two of us.

    This is the type of golf that is intriguing to me lol

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    VikingDudeVikingDude Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭

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    Steven59Steven59 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Mike Greenberg
    @Espngreeny
    "The #Jets have the offensive & defensive rookies of the year. They have the 13th pick in a draft rich with OL. Plus a dynamic RB returning from injury, an elite defense, and all the cap room to spare. I can’t believe it, but if you’re Aaron Rodgers, this is where you go."

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

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    Steven59Steven59 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

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    craig44craig44 Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is just Aaron Rodgers hipster way of telling the world he is going on a four day bender.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

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    doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Aaron Rodgers has been eating too many psychedelic mushrooms again, he's probably stoned out of his mind as we speak!

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @doubledragon said:

    Aaron Rodgers has been eating too many psychedelic mushrooms again, he's probably stoned out of his mind as we speak!

    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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    2dueces2dueces Posts: 6,252 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 17, 2023 10:28AM

    Say what you want about Rodgers. Not sure what the beef is with him on this board. He’s a first ballot HOFer and multiple MVP winners. His latest statement about the balloons also is very intelligent. Looks like the government is trying to distract us from something else going on.

    W.C.Fields
    "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 17, 2023 10:31AM

    @2dueces said:
    Say what you want about Rodgers. Not sure what the beef is with him on this board. He’s a first ballot HOFer and multiple MVP winners. His latest statement about the balloons also is very intelligent. Looks like the government is trying to distract us from something else going on.

    It has nothing to do with his social or political views, it's all about his better than everyone else persona and finger pointing to his teammates when they lose.

    I agree with most if what he says outside if football but as an NFL player I really can't stand him

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    craig44craig44 Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @2dueces said:
    Say what you want about Rodgers. Not sure what the beef is with him on this board. He’s a first ballot HOFer and multiple MVP winners. His latest statement about the balloons also is very intelligent. Looks like the government is trying to distract us from something else going on.

    Rodgers has this holier-than-thou, sanctimonious, narcissistic air about him nearly every single time he speaks. He thinks and wants everyone else to think he is the smartest guy in the room, whatever room he is in. He is like that hipster guy in high school who listens to underground indie bands just so he can wear the t-shirt and pretend he is edgy when he is talking to girls.

    and he is a teammate blamer when things on the field go wrong.

    Like Perk, I often find myself agreeing with the things he says, but i just cant get over his act.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @doubledragon

    DD, any update on Rodgers and his magic mushroom type excursion to the darkness?

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    streeterstreeter Posts: 4,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That long time GB sports writer says GB has washed their hands of Rodgers.

    Have a nice day
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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 20, 2023 11:09AM

    @streeter said:
    That long time GB sports writer says GB has washed their hands of Rodgers.

    Lol they should have done that last offseason before they caved to his nonsense and inked him to that massive contract

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 23,021 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Over the years I have perused some Packers fan discussion boards/forums. I have seen both sides of it from the Packers fans...or I should say the many sides of it. They love this guy, appreciate him, are sick of him, think the organization could have maximized his years into more SB wins, think he could have doe more, think he has changed, think there are no better alternatives. It's all over the place. I don't see consensus. I'm sure people living in the immediate area would know more than me.

    There is, however, one thing that is for certain. The majority of Green Bay fans are disappointed in only having two championships to show for the combined Favre/Rodgers eras. A lot of that blame was always put on the organization. In my opinion, the longer he stays without getting that done, that blame will start to creep back to Rodgers himself.

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    perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 22, 2023 3:34PM

    @thisistheshow said:
    Over the years I have perused some Packers fan discussion boards/forums. I have seen both sides of it from the Packers fans...or I should say the many sides of it. They love this guy, appreciate him, are sick of him, think the organization could have maximized his years into more SB wins, think he could have doe more, think he has changed, think there are no better alternatives. It's all over the place. I don't see consensus. I'm sure people living in the immediate area would know more than me.

    There is, however, one thing that is for certain. The majority of Green Bay fans are disappointed in only having two championships to show for the combined Favre/Rodgers eras. A lot of that blame was always put on the organization. In my opinion, the longer he stays without getting that done, that blame will start to creep back to Rodgers himself.

    Rodgers acts like he has Tom Brady rings, that's what makes me roll my eyes and laugh at the same time when it comes to him

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    thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @perkdog said:

    @thisistheshow said:
    Over the years I have perused some Packers fan discussion boards/forums. I have seen both sides of it from the Packers fans...or I should say the many sides of it. They love this guy, appreciate him, are sick of him, think the organization could have maximized his years into more SB wins, think he could have doe more, think he has changed, think there are no better alternatives. It's all over the place. I don't see consensus. I'm sure people living in the immediate area would know more than me.

    There is, however, one thing that is for certain. The majority of Green Bay fans are disappointed in only having two championships to show for the combined Favre/Rodgers eras. A lot of that blame was always put on the organization. In my opinion, the longer he stays without getting that done, that blame will start to creep back to Rodgers himself.

    Rodgers acts like he has Tom Brady rings, that's what makes me roll my eyes and laugh at the same time when it comes to him

    ....
    I have a huge rooting interest in the Brady as GOAT thing, meaning I believe he is and I occasionally keep track of the arguments against as well as the upcoming contenders. I've been following Mahomes and the Chiefs, and I never stopped seeing him as the best QB in the league. There was a time when Rodgers was talked about in similar ways to Mahomes. Meaning that he makes throws that no one else can. That was always what really propped up his GOAT potential, and went along with the assumption the he would undoubtedly get to at least three rings.

    In following Rodgers over the years, it has been apparent that much about him is the anti-Brady. I'm talking on the field, locker room, and press conference, interviews only. He has notoriously thrown players and coaches under the bus, while deflecting blame away from him. And this is only for starters.

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