ShareEmailPrintMon Jan 24 12:00pm EST Cutler cried when told about player's criticism of his toughness By Chris Chase http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/sh...told-about-player-s-criticism-?urn=nfl-311669 When Jay Cutler(notes) was told that other players around the league had questioned his effort and toughness in the wake of the recently discovered sprained MCL he suffered in the NFC championship game, the Chicago Bears quarterback showed a side of himself we haven't much seen: vulnerability. Jim Trotter writes on SI.com: Cutler appeared genuinely hurt when asked about the comments, saying: "No comment on that." He then turned his back to reporters, fiddled with some things on a shelf and bit his lip as tears welled. He had been battered and beaten during the early part of the season[. ...] Yet he never complained or pulled himself. Though some have already used Cutler's tears to prove their point that he's a wimp, shouldn't the opposite hold true? (This isn't elementary school. We should know by now that crying isn't necessarily a sign of weakness.) If I was someone who doubted Cutler's injury (and I'm not), the fact that he cried about it would indicate to me that he cared more than I thought. An apathetic man doesn't tend to cry. A quitter would probably feel the need to defend himself. Those tears suggest he's neither of those things. [Related: See the tweets of other NFL players attacking Cutler] MJD is right when he says it was unfair to call Cutler a quitter without knowing the full extent of his injury. And now that we know it was an MCL sprain that didn't fully rupture, it's still not fair to speculate whether he could have played. Some have suggested that he could have gone on the injured knee because other people have done so in the past. That's ridiculous. It's like saying he should be able to run under 10 seconds in the 100-meter dash because Usain Bolt can. Everyone has different limitations. If doctors, trainers and Cutler himself didn't think he could go, shouldn't that be enough? (And that's what reportedly happened. Doctors advised Cutler not to go back in the game but he did anyway. He pulled himself when he realized he couldn't plant.) All of this Cutler talk raises another question: Why is it bad form to question a player's toughness? Should it be off limits? Why is every other negative trait about football players fair game, but not this? (Again, I'm not talking about Cutler here.) We can criticize a quarterback's inability to get rid of the ball or the decision-making involved in throwing into triple coverage or how he runs the two-minute offense, but we can't question ability to play through injury? Isn't toughness the foundation upon which football greatness is built? We celebrate Jack Tatum for playing on a broken leg and revere Emmitt Smith for his dominant performance with a separated shoulder. If you can be tough, surely it reasons that you can be soft too. You don't think someone, somewhere hasn't milked an injury to avoid getting onto the field? The familiar refrain is "we don't know how injured he is." OK. We also don't know what Bill Belichick knew that caused him to call a fake punt at the end of the first half last week or why the Jets were so ineffective at stopping the Steelers' rushing attack or what was going through Jim Caldwell's mind when he called that timeout in the wild-card game. That didn't stop anybody from ripping them, though. Why do we get self-righteous about injuries? ======================================================= should a man be questioned about his tuffness when he gets hurt ? should he play thru the pain/injury ? I say no to both because in the end he has to watch out for himself. I really hate when the fans do it because they are the first ones to call in when they get a headache. as far as other players are concerned they will not show up at the teammates house to rub him down when he gets old and torn up and cant move or some other complications due to that injury. hell they would forget his name as soon as he retires. so fuck em . whats your take ?
As a Bears fan....Cutler is a PUNK and I will throw a party when he is no longer putting on that blue and orange jersey 17 Sundays a year. I have never liked him...even when he's had an "on" day. Is he a crybaby? Who cares. Was he really injured? Again, who cares. My issue is that the perception of his attitude is exactly that, "who cares"? Any athletes on here who were team leaders (and by that I mean point guards, setters, quarterbacks, etc) ever been injured in a championship game and sat on the sidelines joking, walking around with a torn MCL, barely paying attention to the scoreboard, and not try to guide the person who went in as your sub? I have coached junior high kids with more presence of mind to keep their head in the game after getting pulled for an injury than Cutler. I don't question his toughness. I don't question his injury. What I DO question is why he was allowed to create a PR nightmare due to his demeanor after he was pulled from the game. His actions, or lack thereof, were not those of a leader, which is the role he should be fulfilling on and off the field. But as a Chicago fan...I'll be glad when he's another team's problem.
wow if he is a punk and got you to the conference championship what does that say about the squad last year when they didnt make it
I don't get it, he was their qb last year too...and I don't really think you can say Cutler got the Bears to the NFC championship. Their defense and a couple of lucky calls in close games got them to the NFC championship. Have you watched them at all this year??
WoW, Socal went off on Cutler, slam dunk. I aint Bears fan but as former College athlete I agree with all your points on leadership and teammate spirit. BTW, welcome back!
The silver lining from the MFing 2006 draft was the Rams not drafting him. He's the Jeff George of his generation.
