What's the easiest way to make enemies in the NFL? Throw your teammates under the bus.
Aaron Rodgers surely knows this, but that didn't stop the Packers' quarterback from speaking ill of his NFC comrades and the way they played during Sunday's loss in the Pro Bowl.
"I'll be honest with you, I was a little disappointed," Rodgers said Tuesday during a radio interview with ESPN Milwaukee. "I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves. There should be some pride involved in a game like that, and I was just surprised by some of the efforts by some of the guys."
Now, before players go marching into Titletown with pitchforks seeking Rodgers' head, let's examine exactly what he said and philosophize for a moment.
The crux of the issue is this: Players love the trip to Hawaii but don't care for the game itself. They have no desire to risk injury in a "meaningless" game, which is why they don't play hard, which is how you end up with 59-41 as the final score. It's that lack of effort that caused fans to boo during portions of this year's game.
So, if anything, Rodgers was sticking up for the fans. A noble gesture on his part indeed, but one has to wonder if it was worth it.
