For true Packer fanatics, it takes a real whooping to sour their Sunday. In the NFC Championship, the “birds” delivered just that.

Aaron Rodgers, now 33, took a beating in that game that was worse than anything Itchy has ever done to Scratchy.

By the time the first half was over, I wasn’t sure what was harder to bear, the mistakes the Packers made (a missed field goal and a fumble in the red zone) or listening to Troy Aikman and Joe Buck try and make conversation, as there wasn’t much to say about the action on the field.

It was more one sided than an early Tyson fight, as the Packers’ already banged up roster began to lose men as if the battle on the field was more militaristic in nature than one of sport.

Once again, like he has done time and time again, the cooler than a seersucker suit Chico Kid did all he could to keep the Packers in the game. Other than an interception, that was more like a punt than an interception, Rodgers looked like the MVP of the NFL on Sunday.

The much higher powered and healthier Atlanta offense is captained by Matt Ryan. A quarterback many think will win the MVP this year. Not to say he isn’t deserving, but Aaron Rodgers means more to his team than any other player in the NFL, and to me that’s what makes him most valuable, to his team and to the fanatics.

It was evident Sunday that, aside from the mistakes the offense made and the defense’s inability to stop the Falcons run game or their Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones, Rodgers was the best player on the field.

So, where do the Packers go from here?

With Rodgers on the roster until at least 2020, the Packers have three years to maximize their current fortune.

Rarely does a team get back to back Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and it is hard to get back to an NFC championship game, but the Packers have been to seven of them with these two legends at the helm. Unfortunately, they have only won three.

It is easy to put it solely on their shoulders, as the position they play, and what it represents in American sports not only comes with the highest of accolades but the highest level of scrutiny too.

As Rodgers said Sunday after the game, “We need to reload.”

I agree. It is time to get some new ammunition for our sure shot quarterback, or our ace’s chances of getting back to the big one could end up more like an ace of spades than an ace of diamonds. I heard last year’s Super Bowl ring had 212 diamonds in it, too. Shucks.