As many media members know, Rodgers has been anything but interesting to interview in the past. Sometimes it is hard just to get him to talk. On ESPN Radio Milwaukee earlier this week, Aaron Rodgers uncharacteristically took jabs at ESPN analysts: Tony Kornheiser, Ron “Jaws” Jaworski and even Marcellus Wiley. To be fair to Rodgers, he has been on Homer’s show before, so many of his comments were surely in jest. However, the comments directed towards those not on the show seemed fairly forthcoming. The full interview can be heard here.
by Justin Mertes-Mistretta
When asked about PTI’s co-host Tony Kornheiser, Rodgers boldly stated:
“Tony’s stuff wasn’t funny at all. He did no research. We’d sit in those production meetings and he would add absolutely nothing to the conversation. I’d be like, ‘What are we doing here? This is stupid.’… You get in there with Tony and he’s asking you all these dumb questions that have no application to the game you are playing or anything you are doing. He’s terrible on [PTI], too. I don’t think he’s funny. I don’t think he’s insightful. I don’t think knows anything about sports.”
As Eminem says in 8 Mile, “Ward, I think you were a little hard on the beaver.” No doubt, Tony Kornheiser was pretty bad on Monday Night Football and his harassment of Hannah Storm was uncalled for. However, it’s impressive for PTI to be one of the most watched shows on ESPN considering it has a co-host who, “doesn’t know anything about sports,” as Rodgers frankly stated.
Rodgers’ “love” didn’t stop there. The Packers’ quarterback was critical of former Eagles quarterback and current NFL analyst Ron Jaworski, calling his analysis of Rodgers’ fundamentals before the NFL draft, “the worst segment in the history of TV.” He also went on to express his disdain for former Cowboys defensive end and current NFL analyst Marcellus Wiley:
“You look at Marcellus Wiley up there talking about quarterback play. The guy was a defensive end for a few years in the league. He’s not any good.”
Wiley played in the league for ten years, which is eight more than Rodgers. Despite having back-to-back impressive seasons, Rodgers still has a lot to prove, especially if he is going to talk down to seasoned veterans like “Jaws” and Wiley. Plus, calling out analysts behind their backs usually isn’t the best thing for PR.
Justin Mertes-Mistretta is a senior editor for the Sports Bank.net mainly covering the NFL, NBA playoffs, college basketball (Ohio State), and fantasy football. Follow him on twitter at MertesMist_tsb or become a fan of his blog here.