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Aaron Rodgers is one of the most famous players in the NFL, and there are plenty of people who don’t even watch football who’d be able to recognize him if they randomly crossed paths. However, that apparently doesn’t include Ryan Seacrest.
In addition to cementing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the course of a career spanning 18 seasons, Rodgers has been a constant presence in the headlines thanks to some high-profile relationships (as well as a virtually nonexistent relationship with his family) and the many, many quirks that make him one of the most interesting athletes on the planet.
As a result, I feel like you’d have to live under a rock to not realize you’ve run into Rodgers—especially when you’re at a lavish gathering overflowing with a ton of other notable names.
However, that’s the situation one of the most noteworthy television personalities to grace the small screen over the past couple of decades found himself facing at a party a while back.
Ryan Seacrest accidentally gloated about the Falcons beating the Packers in the NFC Championship while talking with Aaron Rodgers
On January 22, 2017, the Packers faced off against the Falcons for the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LI. While Rodgers was hoping to get the chance to play for the second Lombardi Trophy of his career, Green Bay came up short and headed home for the season in the wake of the 44-21 loss.
Rodgers suddenly found himself with some free time on his hands, and the following week, he headed with then-girlfriend Olivia Munn to a birthday party that had been organized for Ellen Degeneres. It was obviously a star-studded affair overflowing with A-list celebrities, and Seacrest had also managed to secure a spot on the guest list.
Now, Seacrest would be the first person to tell you he’s not a diehard football fan, but (as you’ll soon see) the Atlanta native would also be the first person to tell you he roots for the Falcons if you asked him about his fandom.
At some point in the evening, Seacrest headed to the bar to grab a beer and struck up a conversation with a fellow partygoer who described himself as a “big fan” of the American Idol host.
From that point, they started making small talk, and Seacrest recounted the details of the kind of conversation that will randomly pop into your head while you’re trying to sleep for the rest of your life—one that went something like this:
Seacrest: So, how do you know Ellen?
Rodgers: My girlfriend. They’ve been friends for a while. She’s an actress.
Seacrest: Oh cool. What do you do?
Rodgers: I play football.
Seacrest: Did you see that game last week? I’m a Falcons fan. The Packers got crushed. It was an awesome game. I’m so excited to watch the Falcons in the Super Bowl. What position do you play?
Rodgers: Quarterback.
Seacrest: Who do you play for?
Rodgers: Green Bay Packers.
It was at that point Seacrest did, in fact, realize he was talking to Aaron Rodgers, and did what he could to atone for the misstep while presumably resisting the urge to find the nearest bathroom and crawl into the smallest ball possible while hugging the base of the toilet.
Seacrest didn’t really get into how Rodgers reacted, but based on what I know about the QB, it probably involved a tiny smirk and a quick chuckle to try to cover up the fact he was absolutely fuming inside; while the host implied he pulled the “I Didn’t Recognize You Without Your Helmet” card, there’s only so much someone like Rodgers can do to not be left livid and reeling after that kind of brutal hit to the ego.