Freezing beers and Aaron Rodgers’ blessed pinkie: When Packers fans celebrated Super Bowl win in frosty weather
Aaron Rodgers helped the Green Bay Packers earn a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV for the 2010 NFL season. This was just the third season of Rodgers' career since being named the starting quarterback, replacing Brett Favre.
After Rodgers brought them the Vince Lombardi trophy in year three, most of the team’s fans got on board with their new franchise quarterback.
The Packers hosted a celebration of their victory at Lambeau Field, their home stadium in Green Bay. Many faithful fans were in attendance, despite the freezing-cold winter temperatures in Wisconsin.
One fan was left unphased by the frigid weather, but rather embraced it. He was quoted by ESPN while holding a beer that completely froze up:
"The weather's fine. I can barely feel it. That's my favorite thing about winter. You can just stick your beer in the snow."
Another fan who braved the weather didn't seem to mind it either. She was much more excited about the victory and her experience with the team during the celebration. She was wearing an Aaron Rodgers jersey and was blown away by what happened to her favorite player:
"I will never forget this. I got to touch the trophy, but I couldn't actually feel it. I touched Aaron Rodgers' pinkie! I'll never wash my hand again."
Aaron Rodgers brought the Vince Lombardi trophy back to Lambeau Field for the first time in 14 years. For anyone who doubted the decision to move on from Brett Favre, Rodgers proved he was a worthy successor.
Taking his success a step further during the Super Bowl celebrations, Aaron Rodgers made a bold promise to the fans in attendance:
"We brought that title home! We love you! I tell you what, Green Bay, we're going to be right here next year doing the exact same thing!"
His statement seemed believable at the time. However, we are now 22 years removed from that glorious evening, and the veteran quarterback is now flirting with retirement.
Aaron Rodgers' struggles in the NFL Playoffs following his lone Super Bowl ring
Aaron Rodgers made his first appearance in the NFL playoffs following the 2009 season. While he lost his first game, he played well, inspiring confidence moving forward. He quickly turned things around when he made it back to the postseason the following season. Rodgers won all four of his playoff games that year, including a Super Bowl XLV victory.
The following season, Aaron Rodgers failed to deliver on his promise to the fans at the Lambeau celebration. He made it back to the playoffs following the 2011 NFL season but lost his first game. Early exits became somewhat of a trend for the Packers quarterback, winning more than one postseason game in a single season just once more during his entire career.
Since the Super Bowl victory, Rodgers has recorded a disappointing 7-9 postseason record. Not only has he failed to win another ring along the way, but has yet to even return to another Super Bowl. His bold promise to the fans fell epically short.