NFL star Aaron Rodgers, known for being one of the most generous athletes when it comes to signing autographs, found himself at the center of a new controversy that sparked mixed reactions online. While he’s usually praised for his fan interactions, this time not everyone was pleased with how things played out.
Rodgers attended the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament to enjoy some downtime and meet with fans. He stopped several times to sign memorabilia, but one particular moment during the event set social media ablaze: the moment he refused to sign a ticket from a 2005 game between the Saints and the Packers, suspecting the person asking was just trying to make a profit from the autograph.
The scene was captured by a bystander and quickly went viral. In the clip, Rodgers pauses before signing and throws out a quick test to the so-called fan:
-“Who’d we play?”
-“Saints.”
-“Yeah good. It’s on the ticket.”
The quarterback’s expression made it clear he still wasn’t buying it.
You could look it up and I’d believe you..
Rodgers took it a step further, trying to determine whether the man was a true fan or just an autograph flipper. The man claimed to remember the score, but got it wrong, saying it was 50-3 when in reality it was 52-3. That only made Rodgers more suspicious.
Rodgers told him he remembered it and added that the fan could easily confirm it if he wanted to:
“You could look it up and I’d believe you, and then I’d sign what you’re saying. But since I don’t believe you, I’m not gonna sign it.”
It was a firm no, and clearly an uncomfortable moment for the man, who still tried to convince Rodgers by offering to personalize the autograph something that would decrease its resale value. Rodgers didn’t budge: he insisted he wasn’t going to be fooled.
The video sparked divided opinions. Some users mocked autograph hunters, commenting things like:
“That’s why she carries her own Sharpie now” and “She wasn’t even done signing yet.”
Others backed Rodgers, saying this kind of thing has become all too common in sports.
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