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In Sports Commentary

By Dave Begel Special to OnMilwaukee.com Photography by Allen Fredrickson E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Dave Begel

Published Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:32 a.m.

Tags: dave begel, aaron rodgers, lynn dickey, quarterback

I have always made it a strict practice not to respond to criticism of something I have written.

That doesn't mean I didn't read the criticism. I just didn't respond. However, that was a vestige of my days at a newspaper, where space was at a premium and not that many people took the time to sit down and actually write and then mail a letter.

OnMilwaukee.com and other online publications have vastly changed the landscape for that kind of thing. Not only do they provide space for comment and criticism, they actually solicit it and make it easy to comment and criticize. And so, I've made a decision to get in on this wonderful two-way communication.

My column last week was a perfect example. I wrote about questions I have regarding Aaron Rodgers' ability to be an inspirational quarterback. I made the claim that inspiration is a big part of sports, especially football -- a game where emotional peaks play such a vital part.

I made the point that Rodgers obviously had some strong qualities, but that I had suspicions about whether he was the kind of quarterback who could light a fire under teammates. I claimed that he compiled wonderful individual statistics, but that he was falling short in the victory category.

Well you could hear the avalanche of criticism from Green Bay to Milwaukee. I went through the criticism very carefully.

Of 24 comments, 22 of were critical. Five of those were absurd and added absolutely nothing to the debate. You five guys know who you are, so I don't have to list your names here.

The other critical comments were thoughtful and serious. I found it interesting that 10 of the critics used statistics to prove their points. The very point of my column was that Rodgers might have great statistics but that wasn't enough for the quarterback of a champion.

I can easily see how readers would disagree with what I wrote. But, perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I was asking a question that can only be answered at some point in the future.

I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that the other A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Here's the highest paid player in baseball. He's got stats coming out of his ears, but not a single world championship ring on his finger. Is it all his fault? Of course not. But, as such a star, does he bear more of the blame than his other, more mortal, teammates? I think the answer is yes.

I remember having a whiskey-lubricated conversation with Lynn Dickey, the former quarterback for the Packers. His team was suffering through an abysmal season and Dickey was way down in the dumps.

I tried to boost his spirits. First, I bought him another drink and then I said it wasn't his fault that his team sucked.

"I'm the quarterback," he slurred. "I'm supposed to make the rest of them better. All of them. That's who I'm supposed to be."

It was from players like Dickey that I learned about this intangible quality and it became something I have always looked for in athletes who are in leadership positions. Those athletes don't always win championships, but they do inspire their teammates to be better, and in some cases, much better.

I stand by my concern over whether Rodgers is the kind of quarterback who can create a climate of inspiration that infuses his teammates with performance beyond their abilities.

For those of you who used the Talkback feature -- keep it up. Even the five of you who are silly, personal or looking for applause.

Clap, clap, clap.

18 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by cfogel34 on Dec. 18, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. (report)

""I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that the other A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Here's the highest paid player in baseball. He's got stats coming out of his ears, but not a single world championship ring on his finger. Is it all his fault? Of course not. But, as such a star, does he bear more of the blame than his other, more mortal, teammates? I think the answer is yes." This is the weakest argument. Sir may I introduce you to the Yankee pitching staff? Better yet, you are a journalist you look them up over the last couple years. Babe Ruth wasn't some great inspirational leader it was: Waite Hoyt Urban Shocker Herb Pennock So what kind of leader is better sir. Vocal or by example?

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Posted by Broner on Dec. 18, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (report)

Hey DanEBoy, It's spelled F-A-V-R-E. For a guy who can't get over him, you should learn how to spell his name. But my point isn't about the Favre situation. It's about a "columnist" who shows no objectivity about the situation. I'm sure a million bloggers have written a million blogs about the Favre situation but credible columnists should be able to take a step back, evaluate a situation, and then write well argued columns based on their conclusions. Dave doesn't do that. And that's my issue. By the way, get over Favre. It was a great ride and I'm a huge fan, but it's a game and if that's all you have in life, you need to re-evaluation yourself.

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Posted by DanEBoy on Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:48 p.m. (report)

Hey Broner: I too cannot get over the "Farve thing" and proud of it.

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Posted by Broner on Dec. 17, 2008 at 6:27 p.m. (report)

I'm guessing I'm one of the 5 guys Dave is calling out so allow me to retort (according to him, I should know if I'm one of the 5 but being his usual vague self, he didn't identify them/us). The irritating part of most of your articles are that you lack any semblance of objectivity. I understand that you write opinions, but to have any credibility, you need to have a solid basis for your opinions and express them well. You don't. If you expressed your opinions well, I still might disagree with you but at least you'd have a solid argument and I'd respect that. Your article regarding whether Aaron Rodgers has "it" to be a champion is a great example of what I've stated. The article is a thinly veiled attempt rip on the guy and not to discuss whether or not he has "it." A statement such as, "He didn't necessarily earn it [the starting QB job], but the bosses gave it to him and so it's his team." really shows what you're getting at and it's not whether or not he may be a champion someday - it's that you miss Favre and don't like Rodgers. Why didn't he earn it? He was the #2 QB for a couple of years and when Favre was no longer the #1, he earned the position due to 3 years of practice, study, and improved play. I would argue that he paid his dues and when the time came, he earned his promotion. This is how many people move up in the career ladder. You might disagree with that, but I've at least written some a reason why I think he "earned" the job. Why can't you do that? Obviously, you can't get over the Favre situation and these types of articles show that. Here's an idea for next week - pick a new sports topic, think about your opinions, and then write an articulate column expressing your opinions and WHY you've reached them. Then the ripping will probably decrease.

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Posted by Captool73 on Dec. 17, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (report)

More of the same old, same old from Mr. Begel. Time alone will tell. Lynn Dickey, BTW, wasn't a playoff QB because of the team around him and the front office, perhaps just like Rodgers this year.... PS: Please see the NY Daily News piece on Favre today (Dec.17). Not too complimentary for the great one.

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