For the love of God, nerdmann, how many more of your "self-shitting" posts are we going to have to endure? You've got to let it go, man. There are many teams each year with the talent to win it all, but only one team can. Is that the only way you can be happy as a fan, to have your team win the big one? It's amazing how much butthurt and personal trauma some people experience over a game.

Originally Posted by: Mr_Bumpy 

What I see is a GM who ended up with a potential HOF QB falling into his lap, when there was a need for a QB. If not for starting with Brett, and than having Aaron, the view of Ted and Mike would be completely different.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

I keep seeing people say that Rodgers "fell into his lap." However, no one is giving Ted credit for actually making that pick.

Ted saw what 23 teams didn't and picked up his quarterback of the future. He had the vision to take Rodgers even though Favre would end up playing three more years for the Packers.

Ted also had the vision/balls to move on from Favre and give Rodgers the job, something that many of these same fans felt was a terrible decision (even if you want to pretend you didn't).

Rodgers was in the last year or two of his contract during the whole Favre fiasco. Do you really think Rodgers would've stuck around if Ted catered to Favre again? Ted also signed Rodger very early into his playing career to a deal averaging 10-11 mil a year. Again many fans bitched that it was too much. The majority of that deal ended up being a bargain.

When Randy Moss could've been had for Rodgers, Ted said no. Again many fans thought that was a terrible decision.

Yet Rodgers only "fell into his lap?"

Originally Posted by: Bigbyfan 

There are always exceptions. To be more general, the argument of "Well, hmpf, huff puff, take away the best part of that great football team and they would be average!!!" is just silly. Take away an elite defense and some teams with average quarterbacks wouldn't be that great either.

There is obviously more than one way to be a champion. It could be on the back of an elite quarterback and offense, or an elite defense, or it could be just an all around "good" but not "great" football team in all three phases. Either way, most teams are great in some areas and not as great in others. Most all of them would be average if their strength was taken away from them. That's the bigger point here. But it is true that a team with an average quarterback and an elite defense is very formidable. I think about the Giants, Ravens, and even the Seahawks, recently, imo.

Originally Posted by: DoddPower 

You act like drafting Rodgers was some sure thing. For one thing the Packers fan base absolutely hated him for taking a QB instead of using the pick on a player that would help the team "win now" with a HOF QB nearing the end of his career. For another thing it's not like Rodgers was some all time great John Elway or Andrew Luck QB prospect, there were a lot of unknowns there. Ted definitely deserves credit for giving no f***s and making that pick. To just brush it of as if some sure hall of famer just happened to land in his draft spot is pretty disingenuous.

If there was luck involved it was that Rodgers turned out as good as he was which would be the case with any draft pick whether it's pick 24 or 1 but he still deserves all the credit in the world for having the balls to make that pick in that situation.

Originally Posted by: steveishere 

People keep saying it, because it is true. Packers were in a position, where they knew, they had to get a QB, within the next few years, so when Rodgers fell, he fell into Teds (Packers) lap.

Yes, Ted has done things like moving on from Favre, which also was a decision that was in large part made for him by Farve when he retired and the team planned and made moves under that assumption.

Wolf went out and got Brett and Reggie. Ted had Rodgers fall to him.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy created an atmosphere that gave Aaron Rodgers the platform to develop into the player he is today. Without that opportunity, there's no guarantee that Rodgers ever becomes more than an Alex Smith, or possibly worse. The importance of that atmosphere cannot be overlooked. That same atmosphere and system has also benefited many other players. The Aaron Rodgers we know didn't "fall in the lap" of anyone. He was a talented player that the Packers purposely selected and fostered his growth and talent so that it could be maximized. It is and has been a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, one that many teams rarely have. It could be better, but it's still pretty impressive.

Having an elite franchise quarterback almost ALWAYS involves some type of luck, whether that means having the number one draft pick or just striking gold. But there's more to it than just picking a player. Especially beyond the top prospect or two. Drafting a player IS going out to get them. Are the Patriots geniuses for drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round or idiots for not trading up to get him with the first overall pick? It would have been worth it to do so. Regardless of how they got him, they still provided an environment for him to flourish, and that's incredibly meaningful.

Originally Posted by: DoddPower