Posts tagged AaronRodgers at FanHouse

There's a tired old saying in the NFL: the most popular player in the stadium is the backup quarterback. And that certainly holds true for the Cleveland Browns, who traded back into the first round of the 2007 draft to save Brady Quinn further embarrassment as he fidgeted uncomfortably in the Aaron Rodgers Memorial Green Room.

Quinn would subsequently hold out, miss part of training camp, and it probably kept him from winning the starting gig. Instead, Charlie Frye's Browns career lasted roughly 15 minutes into the Week 1 Steelers game, and Derek Anderson would get his chance. As it turns out, he ran with it.

Almost a year later, Anderson is firmly entrenched as the starter, but a mild concussion against the Giants last week put him on the shelf for yesterday's Lions game. This would be Quinn's opportunity to prove he was a legit NFL starter.

If Browns fans wanted evidence that quarterback Brady Quinn is ready to start in the NFL, they'll have to wait.

In a little more than two quarters, Quinn played inconsistently, had his share of missed throws and could only drive the Browns to two field goals in his first pro start, a 26-6 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday.

''I'm disappointed. I didn't throw as well as I liked today and it didn't go as well as I would have liked,'' he said. ''My role is to jump in and make it as if nothing's changed. That's something I'm going to have to do a better job of as this year goes along.''

Brett Favre said it himself -- he'll always think of himself as a Packer. That's why I can't understand Jets fans opening their arms so readily for the man. Favre is a Jet because the Jets offered more than Tampa, and because he'd eliminated every other possible option for himself. The Jets might have gotten a better quarterback but they created a big disconnect; they put their offense in the hands of someone who's heart and head is with another franchise. And so Favre's attempts to integrate himself into the Jets' locker seems to me forced.

Regardless, whether or not Favre continues to pine for his green-and-yellow oasis, he won't be watching them tonight when they play the Bengals on Monday Night Football. That's according to Eric Mangini, that is. There will be no checking in on Aaron Rodgers. No gazing at his former teammates and wondering what if.

According to Favre's new coach, Brett will have his dance card punched full with "Jets related activities." And yeah, I guess it's pretty busy in the Favre household lately, trying to learn a new offense and all. But do you really expect Favre not to keep an eye on Rodgers' performance tonight? I'm sure David Lee Roth listened to Van Halen's first single with Sammy Hagar.

Just sayin ...

The Jets are banking on Brett Favre making them some money on ticket sales (I would imagine). More importantly, they're looking for some more wins this year. But there's also another bonus to pulling in everyone's favorite Gunslinger for the 2008 season. Jersey sales.

Darren Rovell, busy immersing himself in all that is Beijing (Woo! America!), took some time out this weekend to compile a few numbers on what Fav-ruh has already meant to both the Jets and the NFL in terms of everyone's favorite statistical accumulation: $.

*NFLShop.com sold 6,500 jerseys in 24 hours. A record number of jerseys sold of one player. The league's online Web site also experienced a record one day revenue take.

*More Favre jerseys were sold on Newyorkjets.com in a single day than any month in 2007.

*On eBay, the average Favre item sold jumped in price from $24.60 the day before (Wednesday) to $47.86 on Thursday.

*eBay's ticketing site Stubhub also had its biggest revenue day. Stubhub spokesman Andy Pray told CNBC that about 2,500 Jets tickets changed hands through its site.

The most fascinating part to me isn't the tickets -- I expect that. But more #4 jerseys sold in a day than any NYJ month from 2007 (that's how I'm reading the statistic, since Favre jerseys weren't getting sold on NYJ.com last year)?

Stephanie Stradley already chronicled the story of kids telling Aaron Rodgers that he sucks. That's bad enough, but I'm sure any pro athlete out there can handle a kid saying "You suck".

Unfortunately, the kids aren't stopping there, and one has to assume they aren't getting their mouths washed out with soap, either.

Rodgers said he's been handling the boos with no problem, but some of the personal attacks have bothered him. Probably every practice there's one or two pro-Brett Favre people who are yelling things loud enough for the players to hear them.

But Rodgers said he hears things off the field, too.

"I understand it to some point if I put myself into a Favre fanatic's shoes," Rodgers said of getting booed. "The things I can't understand, the things I really take personally, is when I'm driving up to the (parking lot) gate and punching in my punch code and somebody says 'F.U.' to me. That kind of bothers me. Or when a little kid is yelling swear words at me. That kind of gets to me. The boos, they expect a high level of play and they miss Brett Favre. I understand that. But the 'F.U.' and the little kids saying swear words to me, I don't understand that."

Are we for real here? Kids swearing at a totally innocent bystander in the Brett Favre drama?

There might come a time next spring (and who knows how many springs after that) when Kellen Clemens is going to need somebody to talk to. Somebody to tell him that, yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There will be only one person who can truly say that: Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets and Brett Favre have both agreed to go year-by-year with Favre's future beyond 2008. Unlike past offseasons in Green Bay, this decision won't just be weighed by Favre's desire for the game. It'll also be dictated by how the Jets perform as well as how Favre feels after a year about his new location, teammates, and organization. One thing the decision won't be dictated by is Clemens.

So Clemens, like Rodgers, is a highly-drafted quarterback once penciled in as the franchise's future. Sure, Clemens already has five times more passes thrown in the NFL than Rodgers, and hasn't looked liked the Jets' future, but I don't think last year's team is the best barometer to judge a young quarterback who surely hasn't reached his ceiling.

And Clemens, like Rodgers, now gets to be the one whose development is stunted and hopes dashed by the annual will-he-or-won't-he seesawing Favre has now become famous for. Maybe Favre finds peace with himself after this year and retires, handing the team over to Clemens. But even if that's the decision Favre makes you can be sure he's going to labor over it intensely next year. Either way, Clemens' future is now stuck in the hands of a man who can't decide what to do with his own.

Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers says he doesn't want our pity, but he is going to get some of mine. The kid in the short YouTube above rejected Rodgers' attempt to autograph his football, and as was explained in an article preaching that fans take it easier on Rodgers, another kid told him:

"We don't love you. You suck."

Children often express elemental but brutal honesty, and I'm not sure things are going to be much better for AaRod in his dealings with fans in general.

Whatever side you pick in the Packer front office versus Brett Favre pissing match dispute, there is going to be a percentage of the fanbase who will be bitter at GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy for kicking Favre to the curb in favor of an unproven Rodgers. And however misguided it is, those fans will take it out on Rodgers.

Though the course of a game, it is easier to boo Rodgers than Thompson and McCarthy. Emotional and overwrought perhaps, but that's how things work. The decision makers don't throw incomplete passes and every quarterback does.

So it appears I wasted my time earlier in the week when I figured the Packers were lying about there being a QB competition in camp. Of course, they were. I just was wrong in reference to how they were lying. Turns out they never had any plans for good ol' Brett to stay in the organization.

And now he's playing in New York, following in the footsteps of Broadway Joe.

We're gonna hit this from a fantasy perspective, and the move affects a lot of people.
Brett Favre -- He loses some value from where he'd be if he was still in Green Bay. The surrounding cast for the Jets isn't quite as stout. I'd actually rank him right behind the other quarterback in New York who has won one Super Bowl, which makes him our No. 14 QB.

Aaron Rodgers -- Right where we had him. He seems to be dealing well with the pressure right now because he hasn't snapped. Seriously, he's got kids telling him they hate him and he sucks everyday in addition to the thousand microphones in his face asking him about replacing Favre. There's obviously a strong mental makeup in there.

There are tons of weapons on the team. People thinking the Packers are going to suck because of this trade are severely overreacting.

Aaron Rodgers looks unassuming enough, but if there's one thing the fourth-year quarterback can't stand, it's the allusion that he's soft. He made that perfectly clear when answering questions about the perception that he's an injury waiting to happen.

Cowboys wideout Patrick Crayton must've missed out on that league-wide e-mail because yesterday he took a few shots at the Packers quarterback.

"Green Bay, that's a soap opera,'' he said, referring to the ongoing Brett Favre saga. "It's shaking Aaron Rodgers, I don't care what they're saying.''

Then Crayton went on to urge the Packers to start Rodgers, not Favre, against Dallas on Sept. 21. When he was reminded that Rodgers played fairly well against the Cowboys when Favre was injured, Crayton said, "Did anyone have any film on him?

"Their defense had film on him for last week's scrimmage. How'd that go?'' Rodgers was 7-for-20 and booed by Packers fans in last week's Family Night scrimmage.

Well, I think Crayton will get his wish since Favre is apparently out of the picture in Green Bay (for now, anyway; there's always the chance he magically reappears at some point before opening day, I suppose).

Who knows how -- or when -- this Brett Favre fiasco will resolve itself, but the Press Democrat's Matt Maiocco puts forth an interesting idea that's sure to make the current quarterbacks on the 49ers roster very sad:

If the dominoes fall a certain way - a completely logical way - it could have a great impact on the 49ers' season.

You see, if Favre ends up with the Buccaneers, that would seem to suggest Jeff Garcia's time in Tampa Bay will be over. And if Garcia is looking for a place to land, the 49ers might be interested.

Seems like the appropriate time to cue up the "Reunited" jam. Honestly, this move would make way too much sense for everybody involved that I can't see it actually happening.

Of course, this all depends on Favre and his plans, but if Garcia makes his way back to Northern California, the 49ers immediately become a much better team. Good enough, I think, to actually contend in the NFC West. The biggest issue is what to do with 2005 first-overall pick Alex Smith.

One option would be to release him if he lost the starting job -- and that seems like the right thing to do -- but we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Still, it's ironic(ly convoluted) that Smith could be cut if Favre lands in Tampa after being forced out of Green Bay because of Aaron Rodgers, the second quarterback taken in the '05 draft.

In case you've been out of the country for the last 15 months, Ted Ginn, the Dolphins 2007 first-round pick (and ninth overall), was pretty much set up to fail from the moment Roger Goodell called his name. You see, Miami was in desperate need of a quarterback, and instead of taking Brady Quinn, who was just getting comfortable for an extremely long day in the Aaron Rodgers Memorial Green Room, the front office went with Ginn.

The thinking was that not only would the Ohio State star address the deep-speed-at-wideout concerns, he would also contribute immediately as a returner. Ginn's rookie season is probably best described as disappointing, but, frankly, it's hard to tell much when the team could muster just one win in 16 tries.

Whatever, Ginn isn't concerned about the past, is only looking forward, and other way-too-obvious cliches:

"I can't worry about people saying things because of where I was picked," Ginn said. "It didn't bother me. I just have to do the things I know I need to do to get better." ... "Now I'm more comfortable with the offense. I'm not thinking as much. And I am playing faster."

See, told ya.

Ginn says things are "coming together for me," which hopefully means big things in '08 Having the Dolphins settle on a quarterback would be a great start, but whatever happens this season, I don't think it's inconceivable that Ginn ends up having a better NFL career than Quinn. I mean, at least Ginn can get on the field, which is only a reality for Quinn in the preseason.