Saturday, December 28, 2019

Minneapolis Star Tribune depicts injury to Aaron Rodgers among its highlights of the decade

From JSOnline:

, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is hit by Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) breaking Rodgers collarbone during the first quarter of their game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, October 15, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. (Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is catching some fire from Packers fans after a column summarizing the 2010s in sports on Dec. 22 included a visual of Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr injuring Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
To be fair, first and foremost, the text of the column by Michael Rand does not mention the play in its stroll through the decade. The Vikings are mentioned a ton, but the word "Packers" never even comes up in the current online version, let alone "Aaron Rodgers."
It's also not a true list of moments, so to say that the hit is considered "top five" isn't right, either.
The online story, however, also features an image of Barr taking down Rodgers. The play on Oct. 15, 2017, left Rodgers with a broken clavicle and sidelined him for most of the remaining portion of 2017. The Packers lost five of their next six games, and even though Rodgers returned for a game against Carolina in December, a loss that day knocked the Packers from the playoff picture, and Green Bay elected to sideline Rodgers for the final two games. The Packers finished 7-9. 
The print graphic also features an image of Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore (representing the four Lynx WNBA titles), Twins sluggers Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano and Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs as a nod to the "Minneapolis Miracle" in the playoffs after that 2017 season.
A Dec. 22 story (which appeared in print side-by-side with the decade-in-review column) discussed the Packers-Vikings 2010s rivalry in greater detail. The graphic is organized in a way (listing years of each depicted figure) that suggests a visual collection of decade highlights, though Rand noted on Twitter that the Barr/Rodgers portion pairs better with the article about the Vikings-Packers rivalry. 
Rand reiterated Friday that his intent was not to consider the play a "top moment."
Rand took a separate shot at Rodgers after the Packers topped the Vikings on Monday Night Football. 
Count noted Packers fan Sam Dekker among those irritated.
In the 2018 season, the NFL made the play a point of emphasis, more strongly identifying plays in which a pass rusher drives the quarterback to the ground as a penalty. At the time, the play was not flagged.
In 2018, a framed photo of the Barr play's aftermath was selling for big bucks in Minnesota.
Correction: A link to the full sports front page was added and the description of the overall page was clarified. A follow-up tweet Friday from the author was also added.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.

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