There are plenty of websites available where you can get every stat imaginable for a professional athlete, but Aaron Rodgers has helped launch an outlet that he hopes can take that a step or two further.
Rodgers partnered with actor and producer Ryan Rottman to form the Online Sports Database (OSDB), which officially launched this week. The site not only lists stats and contract information, it also provides users with information about an athlete’s endorsement deals, business ventures, charity work and more.
Rottman told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky this week that the goal for OSDB is to build stronger fan allegiances and provide opportunities for athletes to connect with potential business partners.
“To me, the more you know about an athlete the bigger fan you become, and that’s essentially for the fan side what we’re trying to do,” Rottman said.
“Not only the fan side but we want to be able to help generate additional [exposure] for these guys. We’re not building this for 1 percent; we’re building it for the 99 percent who don’t get the eyeballs or people don’t know how to get a hold of them for deals where they can endorse, say, the local car dealership in Green Bay.”
Rodgers has notoriously kept his private life to himself, but there has been a noticeable change in his approach since he got engaged to actress Shailene Woodley.
“OSDB is a premiere digital sports database and growing daily,” Rodgers said in a statement announcing the launch of the site. “At OSDB, you’ll find stats, breaking news, human interest stories and personal information on your favorite athletes.”
It is probably no coincidence that Rodgers has let his guard down a bit right around the time OSDB launched. The 37-year-old recently gave a surprising response when he shared what he expects his next big challenge to be. He seems to be making an effort to relate to people more, which is the goal of his new business venture.
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