Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was live on the Michael Irvin Show today from the Super Bowl’s radio row, where the show has been broadcasting from all week. Irvin and his partner Kevin Kiley wasted no time jumping right in with questions for Rodgers about Brett Favre. Rodgers said he has tried to reach out to his former mentor since Favre was sent to the Jets six months ago, but Favre won’t return his calls. Sounds more like one of my past jilted lovers than an ex-teammate.
Irvin and Kiley were describing Rodgers’ body language and said over and over that Rodgers was physically disturbed by Favre’s personal rejection of his former back-up. The two hosts were actually consoling Rodgers on the air, almost like they were his doting parents.
Transcript after the jump.
Irvin asked Rodgers if he had spoken to Favre since Favre went to the Jets, and Rodgers said no. Irvin then asked if Rodgers had reached out to Favre, and Rodgers said yes. That’s when Rodgers told the two hosts he really didn’t want to talk about all of that because it made him feel uncomfortable.
Irvin: What was the relationship like with you and Brett?
Rodgers: I was under the impression that it was good.
Irvin: Why would you say you were under the impression?
Rodgers: You know what, we got along very well. Especially the third year. But I just wish at some point he had reached out to me.
Kiley: In what way? What does that mean, reach out to you?
Rodgers: Talk to me.
Kiley: He never talked to you?
Rodgers: No.
Irvin: When you were playing together, how much speaking did he do with you?
Rodgers: It was me and him. The last year, we had no other quarterback on the roster…. We joked around with each other every day…. And to not have talked to him in over a year is disappointing.
…
Irvin: … He still hasn’t talked to you?
Rodgers: No.
Kiley: Why do you think that is?
Rodgers: I’m not going to speak for him.
Kiley: … You must say to yourself, why doesn’t Brett speak to me. What could it possibly be? …
Rodgers: I don’t know. That’s a question for him. I’m not going to put words in his mouth…. When we lost to the Giants [in the 2007 NFC Championship], we left as friends, and I haven’t talked to him in a year….
Irvin: Why will you not reach out to him?
Rodgers: I did.
Irvin: So you called him and he did not call you back.
Rodgers: Yeah.
Kiley: … I can see Aaron is struggling with this, and if this was television you could see he’s uncomfortable with these questions…. Was he popular on the team, there were reports that he was a little separate from the team, did you feel that when you guys were making that run for the NFC title, that he was separate from the other players?
Rodgers: I really don’t want to go into that.
Favre, it seems, is not quite the man we were all lead to believe he was. It’s pretty sad that a future Hall of Famer would be such a child that he wouldn’t return the call of a twentysomething kid stuck in the middle of Favre’s tantrum. I’ve always felt Favre was a selfish me-first player who cared more about his MVP awards than his team’s success. This just adds more fuel to that fire.
on Jan 29th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Wasn’t there a controversy early in the season about Favre speaking to his former teammates? Maybe, he’s carrying it further, an indicator perhaps that he wants to return next season. Or perhaps, Favre is signaling Rodgers that now that he has the reins in Green Bay, Rodgers can stand on his own legs and doesn’t need his help. I bet when Favre retires for good, Rodgers will get a call.
on Jan 29th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
There has been numerous accounts by players, and former players, for years regarding Farve’s shunning his teammates. I remeber reading about when Donald Driver was drafted, Farve ignored him for months. Farve was also quoted by a teammate as saying something to the effect of “Why should I be a mentor to anybody? I’m not the coach.”
He was fun as hell to watch play, but an arrogant arsehole indeed.
The media would never report on such things, because Farve for years was the image of the NFL.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Arod will have a strong push for the MVP next year. In his first year he was more accurate and protected the ball better than Farve has ever. What he needs to work on his the 2 min. drill. Knowing that there’s plenty of time to drive the ball down the field instead of forcing it. Go Pack!
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Rodgers reminds me of Cal Naughton Jr. when he doesn’t understand why Ricky Bobby won’t be the best man in his wedding; a wedding where Cal Naughton Jr is marrying Ricky Bobby’s ex wife. Rodgers did nothing wrong in Green Bay, but he’s really clueless if he doesn’t understand why Favre is not returning his calls.
Star athletes having this type of attitude is nothing new. Jordan called Will Purdue Vanderbuilt his entire rookie year, because he thought the Bulls messed up on that pick and that Will was nothing more than a college player. He had Rodney McCray crying after every practice, because he was mad the Bulls signed such a worthless addition. Pippen and Jordan hated Kukoc, because Krause liked him.
These guys are competitive. These are the guys that crumple up the paper and throw it at you when they lose a game of tic tac toe to you. What makes them so great on the field is what makes them rub you the wrong way from time to time.
For all the people that are mad at Favre for not talking to Aaron Rodgers. I’m sure if you were replaced at a job by a younger “more talented” individual you would be returning his calls all the time, because “it’s the right thing to do.” It’s amazing the standard we want to hold athletes to on a personal level when 90% of us can’t even do that in our own lives.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Kudos Derek. Who would want to be reminded of the terrible way they were treated by a team like the way the Packers treated Favre at the end with weekly inspirational chats with the person they replaced you with. I know I wouldn’t if that makes me a jerk so be it.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
There was a very simmilar story after the Packers drafted Greg Jennings. Favre barely talked to him his rookie season.
ESPN:
…Plus, Jennings thinks he’s already failed once, last night. He was lost, scrambling through the hallways of Lambeau Field looking for the rookies-only dinner, when he heard a noise on the other side of a door. So he opened it and …
It was him.
Right freaking there, in the seat nearest the door, breaking off his conversation and turning up his eyes. It was him, the most spontaneous and playful quarterback in history. Only Brett Favre wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t offering a hand. He was freezing Jennings with a glare that said, I don’t know what you need, but I’m not going to help you.
Jennings wanted to leave, but he couldn’t spin around, not yet. He was locked in on Favre, thinking, Man, those grays. They were everywhere, along the sides of his buzzed hair and sprinkled in his whiskers. This wasn’t the precocious QB who beat 10-year-old Greg’s beloved Lions in the 1994 playoffs by rolling left and firing a rocket across the field into the arms of Sterling Sharpe.
Neither was this the carefree kid running around the Superdome with his helmet off after throwing a Super Bowl touchdown against the Patriots in 1997. Nor the three-time MVP who came clean about his addiction to painkillers; nor Cameron Diaz’s ex in “There’s Something About Mary.” Nope, this guy was worn and grizzled. And his eyes burned right through Jennings until the kid got the hell out.
I’m a life long Packer fan and while I respect what he has done on the field. He’s a jack-ass in real life. One of my dad’s friends bartended at a place that Favre, Winters, and Chmura use to attend frequently. I’ve heard some pretty terrible stories about Favre from that bar, and I don’t have much respect for him.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I have also heard of several stories from friends about Favre in bars, and the arrogant moves he pulled. I am also a life long Packer fan, and have great respect for what Favre did on the field, but he is an ass off the field. I’ve never been a big fan of him as a person. The Packers did not treat Favre horribly. The whole situation was a mess, who did and said what. Favre felt like the team was his, and the Packers wanted answers so they knew what to prepare for in the future. Anyways, on this topic, we can’t expect Favre (or any athlete for that matter) to play nice, but when you choose to become a professional athlete, you are in the spotlight, and everyone knows what you do. Fans have the right to judge Favre for moves like this because this is the reputation he is building.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I heard crazy stories about Farve when he was in rehab. But he was a winner, so if you are a true fan that’s all that matters.
I think Aaaron needs a hug…I’m there for you buddy!
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
What a baby. Poor little A-Rod can’t get a near 40 year old man to talk to him.
It’s pretty simple. Brett Favre is 40 years old. He’s not interested in hanging out with 20 year olds outside of work.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
In the previous post, did someone actually refer to Aaron Rodgers as “A-Rod”? I think I’ve reached my breaking point. You’ve got to be kidding. It’s bad enough referring to A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) as A-Rod . . but Aaron Rodgers???? Come on!!! Please stop!!!!
on Jan 31st, 2009 at 1:33 am
Excuse me Mr Zeigler, Why should Farve return Rodgers call or even want to see him. The way Thompson, McCarthy, and scary eyes Rodgers treated Farve.Farve made the Packers what they were the last decade and then some.
on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 8:45 am
Stop already with inventing stuff about Favre. Let Rodgers have himself a good cry. Everybody on earth doesn’t return phone calls to people they don’t want to talk to. Extrapolating that into what a horrible human being Favre is, is childish and dishonest.
Rodgers is Ted Thompson’s little pet. Rodgers is always talking about Ted this and Ted that. Thompson repeatedly hamstrung the team to set it up for Rodgers. If Favre didn’t talk about mumbling Ted and his setting up the team for Rodgers, that’s a sign of maturity not whatever attack you want to invent to satisfy your broken heart.
on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 12:54 pm
These two Radio Show Hosts obviously have nothing better on their plate, OR they have no idea of HOW to be real Sport Reporters. There’s plenty out there right now, especially with the Packers bringing in one of the Fathers of the 3-4-Blitz that Pittsburgh has been using for around a decade. I could fill my website with that stuff for months just getting my readers caught up to date - but, no…. these guys have to re-hash whether or not so-n-so is responding to attempts by former player-buddies to chat and maybe go have a beer. WOW, how hard up is that?
As for the Gunslinger being a certain way? Yes, it’s all true. I have it from a VERY credible source that he didn’t really like being forced to dress in front of the other guys and would either wait til they were all gone or go dress in a completely different area - which DID cause many players to think they were being snubbed. And, yes, Favre would go drinking with the guys, but only certain ones, never all. And, yes, Favre DID SAY he shouldn’t have to mentor anyone, nor should he have to rah-rah the troops before gametime, as he wasn’t the Coach and besides, “these guys are all grown ups and should know what’s expected of them” …. I’m parphrasing, but it’s very very close.
Either way - these two yokels SHOULD have something better to do than to harp about their man-luv for a 40 year old QB who probably won’t be back to any team, for at least one whole season. There is that rumor where once Brett finds out what Holmgren will do, then THAT’s where Favre will go, as well. It’s currently a rumor, started by the NY press, but who knows…. Dallas, anyone?
Go Packers!
on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I was just watching the news in Milwaukee and they had a interview with Rogers and he say to the reporter when asked if he reached out to favre and he said NO he did not.
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I’m pretty sure this is not real. There was an interview in the packer locker room just earlier this month, where he clearly stated he’s made no effort to contact Favre in any way. He also says that he doesn’t expect Favre to speak to him, because they aren’t teammates anymore.
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 7:16 am
People with whom you work are not your friends. They are co-workers and sometimes colleagues. For Favre, it’s just a job. For this young quarterback, it is his life.