Business Professional, Best-selling Author, and Professor of Marketing at New York School of Business Scott Galloway once said of Adam Neumann, “If you tell a thirty-something male that he’s Jesus Christ, he’s inclined to believe you.” The Green Bay Packers fanbase did not learn from the exit of Brett Favre, but maybe it can learn from the exodus of Aaron Rodgers. Fans need to stop hero worshiping quarterbacks.
Hero Worshiping Quarterbacks is Bad for All Involved
The Two Exits
Favre and Rodgers left in eerily similar ways. Both were traded to the New York Jets. Each spent years publicly discussing the likelihood of impending retirement. Both also became publicly irritated at having a younger first-round quarterback drafted to replace them based on their talk of retirement.
Both seem to also involve a football team seeking to prepare for the coming season earlier than the player wanted. Favre retired in March of 2008, apparently under some pressure to have an answer before the draft. He then un-retired in June only to make public claims that the team told him playing in Green Bay was not an option. Favre publicly demanded his release, but the Packers worked out a trade instead. Favre then worked his later release from the Jets so as to join the Minnesota Vikings, in what appeared to be a revenge tour.
The Packers seem to have been trying to reach Rodgers after the season ended, but Rodgers went into his darkness retreat. When the Packers could not reach Rodgers through his agent, they moved ahead to protect the team in the coming years. Rodgers then made his now-famous Pat McAfee announcement in, what can only be described as, an attempt to harm the Packers and their trade leverage (whether or not it actually worked).
Brett Favre
While it can seem distant for many younger Packers fans, the Favre Era was a huge turning point. Prior to stadium upgrades and salary caps, the Packers struggled through the 1980s. Between 1972 and 1993, the Packers had only reached the playoffs in the strike-shortened season. His play early on convinced Reggie White to come to Green Bay. It changed the culture of a stagnant franchise.
Favre passed Dan Marino in just about every passing category. He was the first-ever player to win three straight MVP’s. When he retired fans loudly proclaimed he was the greatest quarterback of all time. The long-awaited Return to Titletown led to Hero Worshiping quarterback Brett Favre.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers came in under the shadow of Favre’s pending retirement. He spent three years in this position before ascending to starting quarterback. He did not create a new era, just maintained the excellence of an already winning organization. His four MVPs surpassed Favre (but not Peyton Manning, who earned five after Favre’s third).
Rodgers broke every one of Favre’s records. Still, in the newer pass-happy league, so had several other players. As Rodgers leaves, many fans are now taking to Twitter to proclaim him the Greatest Packer and the best quarterback of all time. Hero Worshiping quarterback Aaron Rodgers was just as natural as ever.
Entitlement
Favre, quite clearly, started to see the Packers quarterback position as his forever. His decision could be made and unmade whenever he wanted. He put the Packers in the position where they needed a backup plan and then resented them for doing that.
It is entirely fair to say that both Rodgers and Favre saw the fanbase as personally theirs. Each made many very public comments toward the fans that were meant to also turn fans against the management they hated.
Favre gave an interview to Greta Van Susteren where he attacked Ted Thompson’s decisions. Favre felt the Packers should have gotten Randy Moss and that his friend Steven Mariucci for the position that went to Mike McCarthy.
In recent months, Rodgers has been spending time on the Pat McAfee Show blaming Brian Gutekunst for not getting him what he wanted and failing to have the sort of direct conversation he wanted. He was effusive in his praise of the fans while telling them their management had ruined the team and was mistreating players like Jordy Nelson. He also specifically made sure to say Packers did not want to “bring back any of your guys.”
Being the GM
Favre and Rodgers both felt that being a star quarterback meant they should be the GM. Both made very public cries about getting specific players. In the case of Rodgers, the Packers seem to have gone out of their way to meet those demands.
Both made statements about drafting players in positions that did not personally help them. On the way out the door, they were focused on making sure people knew exactly how much they were not being obeyed by management.
Hero Worshiping Quarterbacks Is a Losing Game
After the situation with Favre, Packers fans had a chance to see what they had done and adjust. They had a young guy who was talented though unproven. There was turmoil, to be sure. People were convinced the good times were over.
Then, fans got to watch things play out. A young quarterback with a young, talented supporting cast became a contender and a champion again. Still, rather than learn, Packers fans immediately went back to hyperbole and hero worship. Packers fans defended every strange thing Rodgers kept finding himself lured to.
Now Packers fans are right back having to make an emotional cut with a man who has decided to try and use them as leverage against management. A player hoping fans would give him untethered power over the organization. There is only one answer as to how this happens twice in a row.
Just Be Fair with Jordan Love
Packers fans can simply choose to be fair to Jordan Love. No reason to hate him as he has not done anything. Still, no reason to push that he be declared anything in particular either. The hyperbole is only going to make it worse. The faster Packers fans demand Love be declared the Best in the North or some such thing, the faster we build him into the same ego-maniac. Just judge Love by what he does and accept his limitations. Critique when necessary and point out when the problems are elsewhere.
With Favre and Rodgers, fans continually said the problems were someone else. It was never the quarterback. Still, Rodgers won a Super Bowl with a team very similar to the one Favre left. The quarterback has been turned into a mythical hero, but he should be criticized in the same way one might criticize a Linebacker or Wide Receiver.
Is this the new best QB in the NFC North? pic.twitter.com/TZC4UPL2G3
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 24, 2023
Best thing Packers fans can do is avoid hero worshiping Jordan Love. It is better for him and also better for the future of the Packers. Continuously telling a young man he cannot be wrong and you will follow him anywhere, only ever leads to trouble. Just say, I’m here for the ride. I can stand the troubled times too, but I am going to keep you honest.
Main Photo: Tom Horak – USA Today Sports
