Congratulations, Aaron Rodgers!
From the Green Bay Press-Gazette:Rodgers was the lone Packer to win an award despite several players making the trip. Rodgers, Matthews, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop and Tramon Williams were all filmed in the crowd.
Rodgers won the Best NFL Player award, but that was announced during the “pregame” show on the red carpet and was not shown on stage. The Super Bowl MVP was also nominated for Best Male Athlete, but was beaten by Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.
Rodgers made his lone televised appearance on stage when he and entertainer Justin Timberlake, who made another Favre reference, to present the Best Male Collegiate Athlete award to BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette.
The Packers were also nominated for the Best Team honor, but were beaten out by the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
Singer Justin Timberlake (R) and Green Bay Packers NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers present an award at the 2011 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, California, July 13, 2011. (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)
SETH MEYERS: The biggest story in football was the Green Bay Packers beating the Steelers 31-25 in the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers became the first team since 1962 to go an entire season without trailing more than 7 points, proving once and for all that not every statistic is interesting.
And finally, give it up for Aaron Rodgers!
Aaron Rodgers, who won the Super Bowl and finally got out of the shadow of Brett Favre, which we learned, thanks to cell phone technology, is not as big a shadow as we originally thought.
I hoped we'd be spared the Brett Favre UN-retirement talk this year.
Alas, it was too much to hope for.
From NFL.com:Almost time to fire up Favre Watch 2011? On one hand, says NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, yes. Then again, Brandt says, NFL teams might not be all that interested.
When asked about a possible return of Brett Favre to Minnesota during his live chat Tuesday, Brandt indicated that he believes the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns is indeed getting back that itch. The only catch is that, while the Vikings put on the full-court press to have Favre return last summer, Brandt doesn’t see Minnesota or any other team sending its private jet down to Hattiesburg, Miss., this summer.
“I do think Favre would be interested in talking to a team about returning,” Brandt said. “But I don’t see a team out there right now that would bring him back as a starter.”
Brandt noted that the Vikings need to get first-round draft pick Christian Ponder in the starting lineup as soon as possible, and Favre isn’t the right QB to be grooming — and giving way to — a young player.
“Brett is still a good quarterback, but I’d consider him a descending quarterback,” Brandt said. “It’s awfully hard for him to go to a team and be a backup. The Vikings must start Christian Ponder this season to get him some experience. And they’re not going to get Favre in there to babysit Ponder.”
After Favre's meltdown last year, on and off the field, wouldn't you think the guy would finally want to step out of the spotlight and stay out?
Favre is a joke.
The "itchy" Favre has made such awful choices.
I hope the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers retire Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers' jersey before Favre gets that honor.
Aaron Rodgers was Jimmy Kimmel's guest on Thursday night.
Aaron shows off his Super Bowl ring.
He tells a story about two photographers, speaking "European," having an altercation on the field before the Super Bowl coin toss.
Here's video:It's great to be the reigning Super Bowl champs!
I love saying it: THE PACKERS WON THE SUPER BOWL!
On Thursday afternoon, Aaron Rodgers went to Twitter to share his plans for Thursday evening:Check me out on the mound tonight @millerpark and also support the crew
Here's Rodgers on the mound:
Green Bay Packers NFL football quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)Here's Rodgers and Ryan Braun during batting practice:
Green Bay Packers football quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun speak during batting practice before their baseball game against the New York Mets, Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)From the Associated Press, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette:Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers threw out the first pitch at Miller Park before the Milwaukee Brewers took on the New York Mets on Thursday night.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback wore a No. 12 Brewers jersey and toss a perfect pitch to good friend, Ryan Braun.
Rodgers declined to speak to reporters, but the Packers will receive their Super Bowl rings in a private ceremony next Thursday.
Although Rodgers didn't talk to reporters, he was in the booth with Bill Schroeder and Brian Anderson.
From OnMilwaukee:Rodgers declined the opportunity to talk to reporters but did stop by the FS Wisconsin booth in the fourth inning. Brewers play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson asked whether or not Rodgers had any plans to organize team workouts during the ongoing NFL lockout.
"We're going to put something together here because it looks like it's going to go a little bit longer, so it's going to be important for us to get together," Rodgers told Anderson, adding that he would discuss the matter with teammate Charles Woodson at an upcoming charity event.
"If this lockout persists, we're going to get together. Guys have gotten some great work individually, some have gotten together in groups of two or three," Rodgers said. "There's a lot of guys kind of in the same area working out, but at some point we're going to have to get together."
Jason Wilde writes:His arm looked to be in good shape Thursday night, when he threw a strike to his good friend Ryan Braun, the Brewers’ all-star left fielder.
“I wanted to throw a four-seamer. When I pitched in high school, I threw a two-seamer. But I had a little too much movement,” Rodgers said. “I haven't pitched in forever, and I was super nervous. I didn't want to bounce it to Braun. He said he wasn't wearing a cup.”
Rodgers said he played a lot of baseball as a kid but didn’t play his first three years of high school before returning to the game as a senior.
“I was actually a pretty good pitcher for a while, then took a break my freshman, sophomore and junior year of high school and played football. That didn't work out, so I decided to play baseball my senior year and was a pitcher and a below-average hitter,” Rodgers said. “You never know about these (radar) guns, but I was told that I hit the low 90s, and I like to run with that. In about 10 years, I'll be saying 95.”
Rodgers said he and Braun became friends “a couple years ago” after he came to a game and met Braun.
“I'm a fan of Wisconsin sports. This is home for me nine months out of the year. I pull for the Brewers and Bucks and Marquette basketball and Wisconsin basketball and UWM basketball,” Rodgers said. “So it's been fun to pull for them and get to know Ryan. He's a California guy like myself. We're two weeks apart. He's two weeks older than I am, and we've really become good friends."
I like the loyalty to Wisconsin exhibited by both Rodgers and Braun.
Here's audio of Rodgers in the booth:He was nervous to throw out the first pitch?
Super Bowl XLV MVP nervous?
Rodgers is so poised that it's hard to imagine him being nervous about anything, but I understand.
Think of Obama's performance on the mound. Disaster.
Ryan Braun said he wanted to spend his entire career as a Milwaukee Brewer.
He will. At least that's the plan.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The all-star outfielder still had four years remaining beyond the 2011 season on an eight-year, $45 million extension signed after his rookie season, so there certainly was no rush to do another deal. But when a 27-year-old player on Braun's career path says he wants to stay with the club into the next decade, you have to listen.
"Especially a player of his stature, and a player who grew up in southern California," said Attanasio. "It was a very big idea and an enormous commitment. We had to get our heads around that."
Both sides did so, leading to the announcement Thursday that Braun and the club had agreed to a five-year extension worth $105 million, a historic deal in many ways. The extension, which runs from 2016 though 2020, also includes a mutual option for 2021 worth up to $20 million with a $4 million buyout.
As further proof that Braun wants to be a career Brewer, a no-trade provision was included in the deal. To help the club stay competitive and have the financial wherewithal to sign other players, Braun agreed to defer an unspecified amount of the money.
...Braun, whose $45 million extension signed in 2008 already was the biggest contract in franchise history, said there were many reasons for wanting to make the commitment at this early stage of his career. Chief among them, he said, was the tremendous support of Brewers fans.
"I'm proud to be a Milwaukee Brewer, I really am," he said. "I'm going to be for the next 10 years. It's an exciting day for me, my family, the organization. It's like being part of a family.
"It's truly special to me to come to work here every day, and I'm excited about being able to do that for the next 10 years. Thanks to the fans - that was the single biggest reason I wanted to stay here. To be in one of the smallest media markets in baseball and to have 3 million people to come watch us every year is incredibly special.
"The more time we spend in other cities, the more we recognize how special it is here. The fans are the single biggest factor. I'm excited, man, truly excited to be able to say I'm a Milwaukee Brewer from this point forward."
Ryan Braun isn't the only athlete on a Wisconsin team wanting to make his career here.
Aaron Rodgers tweets congratulations to his friend:Really happy for my buddy braun getting locked up for the next 10 years. Great guy and great player. Hope we are both in WI till then
Rodgers then goes on to say that he wants to retire as a Packer:I wanna retire as a packer then live in CA RT @G_Caruana1 @AaronRodgers12 do you want to play in cali? Or just go back after your retired?
Sounds good to me!
