Shannon Sharpe destroys Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers responds appropriately
Before last night's shellacking of the undefeated Houston Texans on national television, the Green Bay Packers were struggling at 2-3. Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was having a rough start to the season, at least by his standards, with 10 TDs, 4 INTs, and a 96.9 QB Rating. While Rodgers and the Packers weren't near their championship form, it's hardly time for NFL pundits and analysts to turn against Aaron Rodgers like he's some sort of cross between JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf.
Unless you're Shannon Sharpe that is...
On The NFL Today, Sharpe engaged with Boomer Esiason in a discussion about the problems facing the Packers and unleashed this mind-boggling analysis...
"I think they have some deeper issues, but let's get to the surface issues right now. They can't run the football, so that puts a lot of pressure on Aaron Rodgers and that poor offensive line. Aaron Rodgers doesn't always do a great job of getting rid of the football on rhythm. So now he's taking some unnecessary sacks. But what I see is a lot of finger pointing by Aaron Rodgers. I don't really know Aaron Rodgers, haven't been around him. But he strikes me as a guy that, it's always someone else's fault other than his own. I'm not so sure, I'm not so sure, that deep down inside, how well his receiving corps really likes Aaron Rodgers."
"I tell you what else, just because you're a great quarterback and an MVP quarterback that doesn't make you a great person. There is a difference between the two."
Why everyone is always out to assassinate Aaron Rodgers' character is something I haven't quite figured out yet. Maybe they choose to get their insurance through Allstate. Who knows.
It's stupefying that Shannon Sharpe could go on a nationally televised prgram, say he doesn't know Aaron Rodgers, and then make a negative judgment about his character away from the field. Stupefying. Exactly what has Aaron Rodgers done to make you think he's a horrible human being? A slightly disgruntled tight end that wants the ball more? Comments that the scout team needed to step up? Is that it? Is that why he's not a great person? Did he run over a parking attendant and we all just missed it?
Was Rodgers saying that he isn't playing his best football an example of blaming everyone but himself? Or is Shannon Sharpe just living in an alternate universe? Because it has to be one or the other in this case.
This is what NFL punditry has grown into - loose talk, debatable topics, and stretched truths, no matter their relevance to what is actually happening on the field. If you can create buzz by insinuating Aaron Rodgers is a bad person that uses a handicapped parking space as an able bodied person, so be it.
After that nonsense, what did Rodgers do on Sunday night in response? Nothing but throw for 6 touchdowns in a 42-24 mauling of the Texans. He also had some brilliant advice for Sharpe and his other critics...
Aaron Rodgers 1, Shannon Sharpe 0.
(video via cjzero)
"Shannon Sharpe destroys Aaron Rodgers" is just as stupid a headline as the so-called analyst in calling Rodgers a bad person (think about the 1st four letters). What is wrong with you? Because The Pack has not won every game? Matt Yoder wrote an even article, but the jerk who writes headlines has his head parked where the sun don't shine.
When will these networks go away from having 15 guys up there providing no "analysis" whatsoever. Sharpe can barely put together a coherent sentence, much less analyze the game of football. The only way these guys can keep from being replaced is to go out on a limb and make wild, baseless claims to draw attention to themselves as well as their show.
Amid all this Rodgers talk, there has been no mention of the fact that his receivers have dropped a TON of passes. Sharpe should have been calling out Finley for dropping everything thrown his way (oh wait - he's a TE, no way Sharpe would do that).
No one has ever accused Sharpe of having an even normal IQ. He should call Aaron Rogers, Mr. Rogers, sir.
Sharpe, like the rest of them is begging for publicity and attention. He got it, but to accuse Rodgers of not being a great guy, after admitting he doesn't know him shows how little he understands the job of being an analyst. Does he have GB receivers saying bad things about Rodgers? If so, share that information otherwise jam it Sparky until you have something of substance
It's funny that Sharpe is talking about Rodgers being a bad person, when Sharpe himself was accused of sex crimes and death threats back in 2010.
