January 26, 2022
It is cold here in Wisconsin. For many the cold is worse since the 49ers defeated the Packers last Saturday by a late field goal. The Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has taken a lot of flack since that game. He is not one of my favorite people but he can really throw a football. I am not sure whether he is a good leader or too self-absorbed for leadership. I do know he is among the best when it comes to throwing a football.
He has not been among the best when it comes to not irritating people. This past year has just been one of constant irritating by him of others. He would greatly benefit by some additional humility but would not we all? Even given all of his irritation over the past year I have a problem with all of the criticism of him by people who are simply gloating. While it may be true he owns the Bears, it may also be true the 49ers own him. However, why are others being as big of jerks about him as he is? Why do we have that need to rend even more the defeated? Is it not enough for a person to experience the karma of failure. Do I really need to rejoice in that failure?
There really seem to be enough things about Mr. Rodgers for people to criticize fairly and justly. What does it say about the thrower when the kitchen sink is thrown at him when he is down? What does it say about me for devouring the accounts and commentary on his failure? Perhaps we are all part of the nameless crowd of inhumanity that gawks at executions, accidents, and failures. Perhaps we all are those thinking it is better him than me. Perhaps we don’t feel guilty about piling on because down deep we know people might well do it to us. The joy of failure is when it is not our failure.