Rodgers proclamation draws mixed feelings

By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Green Bay Packers improved to 5-1 on the season after a 24-14 victory over the NFC North rival Chicago Bears on Sunday.

After the Bears scored to make it a three-point game in the fourth quarter, quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to seal a win for Green Bay. The final play of the drive was a 6-yard touchdown run by Rodgers, who then delivered one of the weekend’s best moments — and what will probably go down as one of Rodgers’ most iconic moments.

After being knocked down on the touchdown run, the first thing Rodgers did was his ‘championship belt’ celebration, something Bears linebacker Robert Quinn did after sacking Rodgers earlier in the game. It’s a celebration the whole NFL world knows of but something Rodgers rarely does nowadays.

Rodgers was then caught on live TV yelling a few choice words at Bears fans. As his teammates celebrated around him, Rodgers continued to chirp at the Chicago crowd, ending with an emphatic, “I still own you! I still own you!”

“Sometimes you blackout on the field — in a good way,” said Rodgers with a big grin on his face in his postgame press conference. “I’ve definitely blacked out from a concussion, which isn’t a good way.

“I looked up in the stands and in the front row, all I saw was a woman giving me the double bird. I’m not exactly sure what came out of my mouth next.”

The loud proclamation by Rodgers was a hot topic on sports talk shows after the game, with many questioning if it crossed a line or was disrespectful.

For starters, let’s begin by addressing what Rodgers yelled at Bears’ fans.

With Sunday’s win, Rodgers improved to 22-5 all-time against the Bears, which included a 21-14 win in the NFC Championship Game in 2011.

Rodgers has the second-most touchdown passes against the Bears all-time with 57, only behind Brett Favre’s 60 despite playing in 10 less games against the Bears than Favre.

So Rodgers does in fact own Chicago, and I think many Bears fans would also grudgingly agree on the matter.

Now, did Rodgers’ words cross a line, especially since it was directed at fans?

You can form your own opinion on the matter, but if fans are allowed to berate, swear at and throw up obscene gestures to players all game, I’m perfectly OK with players having the option to talk a little trash back.

You obviously don’t want those kind of interactions to lead to any physical altercations, but the back and forth between fans and players only adds to the game, in my opinion, especially in a great rivalry like the Packers and Bears have.

“I love this rivalry, it’s been a lot of fun over the years,” said Rodgers. “That’s what I told Justin on the field. I said, ‘Enjoy this. A special rivalry. Unlike any other in our game.’”

Many joke that NFL stands for the “No Fun League” with all the different ways the league has tried to take emotion out of games. First, it was flagging celebrations. This year, taunting penalties have been a focus of the league.

I’m OK with flagging players when they are egregiously disrespectful to opponents — spitting in their faces and things of that nature. The trash talk between players between plays is something that made the NFL what it’s become today, and it’s a shame the league is trying to stop it.

These are grown adults playing a game meant to entertain the world. Let them participate in some harmless trash talk and express some emotion on the field.

I digressed a bit, but what Rodgers did after his touchdown run only adds to the Packers-Bears rivalry. I’m sure Chicago will use that play and ensuing actions as “bulletin board material” when the teams meet again later in the year, which ultimately should result in another fun and entertaining football game — hopefully full of lots of trash talk and back-and-forth interactions between players.

You know Chicago fans won’t forget it, and will be mocking the Packers and their fans the second the Bears earn a win in the matchup. If fans fall under this category, they should have no problem with what Rodgers said and instead be more upset that their team again fell short against the Packers with Rodgers leading the way.

For a matchup that began back in 1921, these are the kind of things that keep the rivalry alive, and I’m all for it.

Morgan Rode is the sports editor for NEW Media. Readers can contact him at sports@newmedia-wi.com.