Twittercised

When Jay Cutler came out of the NFC Championship game for an undisclosed knee injury my first thought was, "what a baby."  The next thing I did was text that sentiment to a friend who mirrored my thoughts.  At the same time we were exchanging text messages, NFL players and pundits were doing the same thing via Twitter.  The initial reaction of Cutler's injury ranged from surprised to outraged.  Consistently lacking from the public opinions was compassion or understanding.

In a game of that magnitude players generally need to be carted off the field or sustain a concussion to be sidelined (an injury I suspect Aaron Rodgers sustained again after a helmet to helmet hit by Julius Peppers).  Instead, we saw Cutler sheepishly walk off the field with his hands in his warmer, never to return, leaving most bewildered.  He didn't seem seriously injured and was later standing on the sidelines, not really cheering, not really upset, just indifferent to his surroundings.

He had that familiar zombie-like expression of someone who was mentally not there.  The team trainers didn't do him any favors by listing his status as "questionable" rather than unable to perform. The way the Bears handled the situation during the game made it look like it was Cutler's decision.  It wasn't until after the game that they insisted the trainers and coaches made the decision, but it is strange that information wasn't passed to a sideline reporter.  There wasn't even a play that Cutler or the Bears could point to that caused the injury.

It was clear Cutler wasn't right, and he did go into the locker room before halftime to get checked out.  He was spotted on the stationary bike trying to warm up his knee, but what was missing from most of the sideline shots was any display of emotion.  Camera work does factor into public speculation because all we really know is what we see the camera shoot.  Among other things, Cutler was criticized for not chatting up his backups, although it was later reported he did but the cameras missed it.  It couldn't have lasted long since the cameras were on Cutler any time the ball wasn't in play.

There's no doubt he was hurt, but was he injured?  We constantly hear what a great arm Cutler has.  If his arm is so great couldn't he have played the rest of the game in shotgun?  Obviously it wouldn't be ideal, but he was able to walk across the field at the end of the game to congratulate Rodgers.

His coaches and teammates have gone out of their way to support him, and that does say something about the guy, but I don't think it will change the opinions of other players around the NFL.  The Bears will tell you that the criticism came from jealous players sitting at home who wanted to be in their position.

Isn't that the point?  They want to play?  Cutler wasn't devastated enough to be truly injured and his contemporaries saw that.  They might have been jealous, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have been on that field.  At the very least they would have stayed engaged on the sidelines after exhausting every treatment possible to get them through the 2nd half.  It wasn't a regular season game.  When you're that close to the Super Bowl you have to pull out all the stops, and that's why those criticisms were published.

All I could think about was watching Phillip Rivers shed a similarly negative perception by competing in the playoffs with a torn ACL and meniscus.  The toughness he displayed was viewed as heroic by everyone around the league. Players began to look beyond his animated displays and respected him as a leader and someone who would sacrifice his body for his teammates. The ability to play through pain is valued above all in NFL locker rooms.

Rivers' ascension from loathed to loved left Cutler the NFL's most hated quarterback.  Instead of using the injury to prove his critics wrong, Cutler threw another log on the fire.  And it wasn't just the normal fan and media speculation.

Cutler was the victim of a social media beating when a number of high profile current and former players took to Twitter to express their thoughts on his lack of toughness.  Twitter has become one of the most controversial past times of professional athletes who instantly become headlines with a flick of their thumbs.

"If I'm on chicago team jay cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room! #FACT!" Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals DE


"HEY there is no medicine for a guy with no guts and heart" Derrick Brooks, retired LB, ESPN analyst


"Folks i never question a players injury but i do question a players heart. Truth" Deion Sanders, retired CB, NFL analyst

I personally think it's out of line to tweet your opinion of a player's toughness when you're a colleague, but this wasn't just anyone.  It was Jay Cutler.  I can't think of another player that would have gotten that reaction.  I have to believe Cutler brought it on himself.  Twitter is used carelessly and this instance is another example of the danger in tweeting, but it sheds light on how Cutler is viewed by his peers.  He isn't respected by fans, peers, or the media, and there are plenty who aren't afraid to say so.  Publicly.

If Cutler plays another series and has to be helped off the field, there would be no speculation.  The last series that he played he still seemed to be moving well enough to stay in the game regardless of how well he could plant on his hurt knee.  That might have been the biggest game Cutler ever plays, and he'll have to live with the fact he pulled a Colt McCoy.  The problem with Cutler is he never gives an indication that he cares. People like that will always be questioned, right or wrong.

That's why his contemporaries had no problem attacking him.  With a chance to go to the Super Bowl, he simply walked off the field.  In a sport that saw Ronnie Lott amputate his finger to play in the Super Bowl, Cutler should be criticized.  Talent can't overcome an empty chest.