USA TODAY International Edition
On give- and- take night, Packers’ Rodgers earns big prize
Host Baldwin gets ‘ Tebowing’ lesson
INDIANAPOLIS — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers began the night Saturday by signing a football for Alec Baldwin, the actor who hosted NFL Honors, and joked that he would put his kid through Brown with the souvenir. Rodgers finished the night with his own souvenir — the Associated Press NFL MVP Award — having received 48 of 50 votes for the honor, which for the first time was presented in the tradition of a Hollywood awards program.
Baldwin delivered a 10- minute opening monologue, at first bugging Rodgers for the signature and at last making the obligatory Tim Tebow reference, incorrectly “Tebowing” on stage before the Denver Broncos quarterback joined him to correct his technique.
Baldwin took shots at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Madonna and the Kardashians, at one point riling members of the Philadelphia Eagles in describing their “Dream Team” as the kind of dream where “you show up at school naked, forget to study for the big test and lose four out of your first five games.”
Rodgers led the NFL in passing with a 122.5 rating built on 45 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 68.3 completion percentage as the Packers went 15- 1 and won the NFC North.
“I think it’s an award that relies on a player having the support of his teammates, obviously, guys blocking, guys running, guys catching, guys making plays,” Rodgers said. “But I’m very honored to receive the award.”
Drew Brees earned the other two votes and earlier took home the Offensive Player of the Year award. Brees shattered Dan Marino’s 27- year- old mark by passing for 5,476 yards, and his 468 completions broke Peyton Manning’s 2010 record of 450.
The San Francisco 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh won coach of the year, the Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton was offensive rookie of the year, Denver’s Von Miller was defensive rookie of the year and the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford was comeback player of the year.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs earned the night’s biggest laughs, saying, upon winning the defensive player of the year award, “I want to thank my parents for, you know, going through with it.”
State of the league:
Goodell held his annual state of the league address Friday, and he was immediately asked about the long- term effects of injuries, particularly as it pertains to retired players.
“I think our former players deserve respect,” said Goodell, citing the $ 600 million legacy fund formed to help them.
As for current players, Goodell said, “We will always make sure player health and safety is the No. 1 priority of the NFL.”
He is hopeful that players can be persuaded to wear hip, thigh and knee pads and better- fitting shoulder pads.
Goodell later shot down the perception that there was an imminent strategy for expansion to Los Angeles.
“We have not talked about expansion in the league at all,” he said, clarifying that if the league ever expanded it would be by two franchises, not one. “I don’t see that in the foreseeable future. Wewould like to be back in Los Angeles if we can do it correctly.”
Pro Bowl overhaul?
Goodell said he was disappointed in the quality of last week’s Pro Bowl and said changes must be considered, perhaps even dropping the game.
Speaking on ESPN Radio, Goodell said this year’s Pro Bowl wasn’t “the kind of football we want to be demonstrating to our fans, and you heard it from the fans. The fans were actively booing in the stands.” The AFC won the game 59- 41. “We are going to either have to improve the quality of what we are doing in the Pro Bowl or consider other changes or even consider eliminating the game if that is the kind of quality of game we are going to provide,” he said.