While appearing on a Wisconsin radio station during the week of the so-called “rivalry” game with the Chicago Bears, Aaron Rodgers urged Packers fans worried about the team’s 1-2 start to “R.E.L.A.X.”
“Relax don’t do it. When you want to go through it. Relax, don’t do it. When you want to come.”
The Pack destroyed the Bears 38-17, reminding us that Bears-Packers is not a rivalry. And really, rivalries don’t exist in the pros anymore, it really is just a college thing these days. The “relax” soundbite/joke/story-line truly got exhausted quickly.
Now the Aaron Rodgers calf injury is the new theme of this week. Of course, this story-line actually has consequence of what will happen on the field. So it’s much more relevant.
Both FOX Sports and CBS Sports had their lead announce teams do conference calls with the media this week to preview conference championship weekend. Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks kicks off at 3pm on FOX. Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots kicks of at 640 on CBS.
Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will call the AFC game. Troy Aikman and Joe Buck will call the NFC game.
(On how a hobbled Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers will fare in Seattle)
SIMMS: “I would just guess that his movement will be better this week than it was last week. He crossed a big border in that game against the Dallas Cowboys. He looked like he got better as the game went along. Doing that gives him more feedback that he can push that calf muscle, or whatever, more in that game against Seattle because I think he will need more to beat the Seattle Seahawks.”
So are you relaxed Packers fans? Has Aaron Rodgers relaxed you with Simms vote of confidence in the health of his calf muscle. Aikman and Buck were not as relax-inducing in their commentary.
“We all know he finished 10 for 10, 9 for 9 in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown that was just stunning. to do it healthy is one thing, to do it injured is another,” said Buck.
“To me, with being on the road, and not being able to move typically as he moves, against that defense is rolling right now, is the undisputed best in the NFL, it’s a tall order. A lot of it is going to be on the offensive line.”
“I was really surprised that the calf was as much of a factor in the game last week as it really was,” said Aikman of the Aaron Rodgers injury.
“I don’t know if I would say they were setbacks this last game, after having played a full game with it, and with that in mind, he was not able to do some of the things that really stress a defense. This offensive line for Green Bay is really good and they’re going to have to be really good, in order to give themselves a chance.”
Now that we have the football stuff covered, and all the speculation of about Aaron Rodgers health has been done, we can now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, the rumors and speculation about Rodgers’ personal life, sexual orientation. And of course there’s the narrative regarding his relationship with famous actress Olivia Munn (a situation some have branded a distraction).
Good times all around.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports, Yardbarker Network, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive Inc. You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)