Packers fans now swear by their new quarterback instead of at him
How long does it take to go from scorned to loved?[img_r]http://media.journalinteractive.com/images/mjs-packers06_-spt_-lynn_-12-packers06.jpg[/img_r]
In sports, it can happen from one at-bat to another, one down to the next.
It takes a little longer when you're replacing a living legend who was refused his old job: 14 months.
Ask Aaron Rodgers.
As the Brett Favre opus rose to a crescendo in August 2008, Rodgers couldn't even enter the players' parking lot without being verbally abused by fans. Young ones at that.
"The things I can't understand, the things I really take personally, is when I'm punching in my punch code and somebody says, '(Expletive) you' to me," Rodgers said at the time. "That kind of bothers me. Or when a little kid is yelling swear words at me. That kind of gets to me. The boos, they expect a high level of play and they miss Brett Favre. I understand that. But the '(expletive) you' and the little kids saying swear words to me? I don't understand that."
Now? They're singing "kumbaya."
"It's definitely all love, the relationship between myself and the fans," Rodgers said Wednesday.
Well, certainly nobody's rushing to the altar just yet.
Rodgers still owns a 10-12 record as a starter. And while the Packers are currently 4-2, failure to reach the playoffs again this season could fracture the union faster than the marriage between Greg Norman and Chris Evert.
But that's in the future.
Right now, Rodgers is riding high on a two-game win streak and the NFC offensive player of the month trophy.
In October, which includes the 30-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers completed 70 of 94 passes (74.5%) for 988 yards and seven touchdowns. Rodgers tossed two interceptions, yet his passer rating was 123.9 - his best for a month (108.5 in October 2008 was his previous high).
"It's funny; it reminds me a little bit of the way my father raised me. You never really knew where you stood," coach Mike McCarthy joked. "Aaron Rodgers, he just won the NFC offensive player of the month and we haven't even given him a game ball yet, so I think we need to take a closer look at how we're judging him.
"He's a young man, he's talented, he works hard and he deserves everything that he accomplishes. He's just doing a really good job of running the offense, and I can't say enough about that. I guess based on him not getting a game ball, I guess he's not playing good enough yet. We'll see what happens."
Rodgers also happens to sit second in the NFL in cumulative passer rating (110.8), behind Peyton Manning (114.5) and ahead of Drew Brees (106.9).
"I still feel like my best is in front of me, and I'm always looking for ways to improve and being very critical of the way I've been playing," Rodgers said. "So I think as a quarterback, you've got to strive for that perfect game, and it's never really attainable, because there's always a couple things you're going to lie in bed at night and think about.
"But last week was one of the better games I've played. Now, you ask Tom Clements, my quarterbacks coach, he'd say it's for one reason. That's because I've been disciplined the last couple weeks and playing within the offense and making good decisions, and he's exactly right."
Rodgers, admittedly, did not do that the first time against the Vikings. Despite finishing with nice statistics, he held the ball too long on a number of the eight sacks he took or didn't effectively use his underneath receivers.
Apparently, it was a lesson he learned.
"Personally, I need to get the ball out of my hands as quickly as possible and get it to our playmakers and let them do their job," Rodgers said.
If he does that, he'll continue the love-fest he realized was happening after the '08 season finale against the Detroit Lions.
"(That) was a sign that they really fully embraced me," Rodgers said. "Running off the field, if you would've told me at the beginning of the season we'd get a standing ovation leaving the field after our last game at 6-10, I would've said, 'Well, I was probably being carted off.' But I wasn't. We had just beaten the Lions, and that was a special moment."
Beat Favre and the Vikings on Sunday and Rodgers will win over the rest of the fans. Even the young ones.