Aaron Rodgers has become known for his title belt celebration almost as much as he’s known for his MVP play on the field. The belt celebration really gained popularity last year, and most people seem to overlook that Freddie Mitchell did it before him. The championship belt nearly culminated when teammate Clay Matthews gave Rodgers a real wrestling belt after the Packers won the Super Bowl, but the celebration truly went viral when State Farm used it in a commercial.
During an interview with Darren Smith on XX 1090 in San Diego, Rodgers was asked if he was offended by opposing players mocking his belt celebration. He said it doesn’t.
“No, not at all. I love it – I really do,” Rodgers told Smith. “Jimmy Graham, the talented tight end for the Saints, did it opening night here in Green Bay this season. Different guys have done it from time-to-time. John Abraham did it last year in the playoffs.
“I got a text from somebody last season that said ‘You know you’ve made it when … you have your celebration copied.’ That whole celebration started as a device to taunt our own number one defense to get them to play harder in practice. And now it’s kind of evolved. It’s bigger than I ever thought it would be. It’s not something I do to garner a ton of personal attention, or as an intimidation or a taunting thing, it’s just more part of my goofy personality. It definitely has taken off.”
Rodgers also defended celebrations in general.
“I think there’s a class and professionalism you should display especially after a game, but I don’t mind it all during the game. I think it’s part of the game, it adds a little flavor to the game — I don’t mind it too much.”
It’s good that Rodgers doesn’t mind it, because if you’re going to celebrate your success at the expense of others, you can’t complain when they mock you. Rodgers also is the second quarterback to say he doesn’t mind others mocking his celebration. The difference is Tim Tebow doesn’t drop down to pray after big plays, so it’s not quite as offensive. But we appreciate both players being good sports.
