Bartkowski, the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft, believes Rodgers, at 27, has emerged as the game's best.
"Nobody can compare with the track record of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but this guy is right there at the same level," said Bartkowski, a two-time Pro Bowl pick for the Atlanta Falcons. "He makes throws I don't think anyone else can make. If they were all in the same age class, I wouldn't trade Aaron Rodgers for either one of those guys."
Morton, an All-American at Cal in 1964 who went on to play 18 NFL seasons, is not surprised by anything Rodgers has done. Morton attended Rodgers' pro day for NFL scouts six years ago and said, "It was the greatest workout I've ever seen by a quarterback, and that includes (John) Elway."
Having played in Super Bowl IV, Joe Kapp thinks Aaron Rodgers has what it takes to lead the Packers to victory.
"With hi-def (TV), you can see right in the players' eyes. You can see into their soul," Kapp said. "It's in his eyes. He's a killer. He's all you want. There's nothing negative.
"I think Pittsburgh's in trouble."
After the jump Joanne Boyle earns her 200th win, Monty's boys move within one game of second place, Tedford talks about coaching logistics and recruiting, and all eyes are on Aaron Rodgers and Desmond Bishop. And in case you missed it, Nate Longshore has returned to football!
Basketball
- Faraudo follows the game from start to finish as the Bears finished the game with a 14-3 run to seal the victory.
- Faraudo wraps up coverage of the game with some tidbits of information. The Bears have moved into fourth place in the conference and could move within one game of first place with a win on Saturday.
- Joanne Boyle earned her 200th career win as Cal defeated Arizona 73-63.
- ASU's Jamelle McMillan talks about how Jorge terrorizes him and other Pac-10 players on the court. Meanwhile, McMillan says Jorge is a really nice guy off the court.
- Cal climbs to 2nd in Wilner's Bay Area rankings.
- Monty's team certainly is better than the one that scored five points in the first half against Notre Dame, but earning a tournament berth will still be a challenge.
- For the second year in a row, Cal brought in a star-studded class highlighted by some great defensive players. The class was ranked 14th by Scout and 17th by ESPN and Rivals.
- Tedford talks about the class as well as some coaching logistics. He confirmed that Michalczik will return, but it's unclear if he'll have OC duties. Tedford also said he'll be working with the QBs much more than he has in recent years.
- Having visible talent in the NFL has helped Cal bring in solid recruiting classes. The SAHPC certainly has helped too.
- After a 5-7 season, the 2010 and 2011 classes ought to help Cal turn things around.
- Local receiver Stephen Anderson will join the team as a walk-on.
- Desmond Bishop's hard work is paying off tremendously as he recently signed a 4-year, $19 million contract extension. Dropping to a sixth-round pick, he was buried on the depth chart until injuries vaulted him to the top.
- Bishop's tackle against former teammate DeSean Jackson in the NFC Wild Card game helped keep the Packers' then-narrow title hopes alive. If not for Bishop's shoestring tackled, DeSean probably would have scored the game-winning TD with under two minutes to go.
- Nate Longshore has returned to football! He's a backup quarterback for the San Jose SaberCats.
- Despite receiving a warning that he might drop in the draft, Aaron Rodgers still accepted an invitation to the first day of the 2005 NFL Draft.
- Steve Levy talks about his friendship with Rodgers and Rodgers' ascension to football's most prominent stage.