From the beginning of the NFL season, with all the pre-season hype, I’ve had to accept a barrage of negativity from nay-sayers. Mostly by Vikes fans as this blog was originally created as an outlet for a Packers/Vikings rivalry trash talk venue.
No matter how well the Packers did, I had to hear ridiculous commentary by the purple side about Rodgers lack of elite status, that he wasn’t clutch and that he wasn’t BF ( you know who I’m talking about).
Even as I tried to hang in there with trash talking the Vikings..and believe me, there was PLENTY to trash talk in the 2010 season, but it became old. The Vikes fans were doing a better job trashing their own team than I ever could.
I wanted to focus on the Packers and their continued efforts to build back a team that had been dealt a rash of injuries, week after week. Yet, they continued to win. The adversity they endured this season did nothing but define their character. They are the true meaning of the word TEAM.
By week 10, the Vikes had already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. There was still 7 weeks of football to play and the Packers were sitting up top in our division. We traded first place with the Bears a couple of weeks.
So, I had hope. First of a post-season. We were still in contention for making the playoffs, and winning the division. I was told, “the Packers aren’t winning the division“.. “The Packers aren’t going to the playoffs“.. by a group of people who had no hope of anything positive for the entire rest of the NFL season, all they could do is root against the Packers and root against me.
Rodgers wins first playoff game vs Eagles
I still kept writing, I watched the team and the league and when the Packers beat the NY Giants, I celebrated. Then we beat the Bears, and I celebrated. We officially made the playoffs. Albeit, as a wild card spot, #6 seed, but we were in!
Then came the haters.. “You’ll be one and done“, “Rodgers will never win a playoff game” .. blah blah blah…
At that point I decided that NOTHING and NO ONE was going to take the joy away from me. Screw the Vikes fans.. don’t need them in my life..especially at this point in the season. Let me share my joy with others that felt as passionate about this team as I do.
Rodgers and team DID win their first Playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles! Now, no one can say Rodgers has never won a playoff game. Then last night the Packers rolled into the Georgia Dome to take on the #1 seed team in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons.
The game was a blowout. Every player on the Packers team gave an amazing effort! Final score Packers 48 Falcons 21.
This was a beating of fearsome proportion, the kind that should make the rest of the NFL take notice. Rodgers was just short of perfect as Green Bay sprinted to a 42-14 lead. Rodgers completed 27 of his first 31 passes for 330 yards, three touchdown passes and the rushing score. In the process, Rodgers made counterpartMatt Ryan(notes) look like one of the kids competing in the halftime “Punt, Pass and Kick” contest.
Rodgers and Ryan
After the two games on Sunday, there will be officially 4 teams left in the entire NFL still playing football. 4 teams out of 32. And the Packers are one of those teams!
As the Packers and their fan prepare for our next game against either the Chicago Bears or the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship game.. I just have one thing to share…
This is exactly the way I feel about the Packers season and shutting up all the negative Vikes fans that have nothing else to do with their time but hate on the Packers and their fans. So, just lighten up, admit that Rodgers is who we said he was. You don’t even have to say it out loud…just stop with the comparison, stop with the pretending that he’s not good.
He’s the best QB in the NFC and will possibly have a chance to compete for best in the NFL in a couple of weeks.
Follow me on Twitter: @ilovemypackers
Packers Passion 