Nobody is questioning his loyality to the fan base, however fickle.

Nobody is questioning the urgency to mark his turf as a leader, however challenging.

Nobody is questioning his freedom of expression, however misleading.

Nobody is questioning the burden of expectations in Green Bay, however magnified.

But many are questioning the timing and intent of what Aaron Rodgers had to say.

Why now?

Why is Rodgers fighting a fight that he can't possibly win?

My first reaction to the QUOTE?

I thought Rodgers was smarter than that.

I thought Rodgers was more savvy than that.

I thought Rodgers was over that -- that West Coast Slick that he carried as a rookie.

Until further notice, he will be branded by the QUOTE.

Lower case would not do it proper justice.

"I don't feel I need to sell myself to the fans,'' Rodgers confided to Sports Illustrated. "They need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut.''

It doesn't come close to being Lee Elia rant-quality.

But, then, Rodgers never managed the Cubs, never got booed in Wrigley.

By the same token, Elia never played quarterback for the Packers, never followed a legend.

By all accounts, Rodgers was not misquoted; a rarity if you are to believe scorned jocks and maligned coaches who have trouble with accountability.

Was the QUOTE taken out of context?

Don't know. Don't know what that means. Taken out of context?

I suppose it means anything you want, if you're looking to cover your butt cheeks.

Chris Ballard, the SI writer, has literary cred.

Rodgers? He has yet to earn his Get Out of Jail Free Card.

I'm guessing Rodgers will be shackled to the QUOTE for a long time. (Or until the first Favre rumor comes out regarding his desire to play again.)

In short, he didn't show much poise in the face of Ballard, a mere sportswriter (however well read) who was armed with some relatively innocuous questions.

So, what kind of poise is Rodgers going to show on third down in the face of Jared Allen, the All-Pro pass rushing demon of the Minnesota Vikings?

That answer will come later.

For now, Rodgers will have to deal with the ramifications of his own bravado.

Here's some advice.

"Life deals you a lot of lessons,'' the speaker said. "Some people learn from it. Some people don't.''

That's keeping things in context.

Rodgers needs to make sure that he has learned something from this setback.

The speaker, by the way, was Brett Favre.