Florio gets it!

[madlithuanian]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/...for-jay-cutler/

 

Let’s hear it for Jay Cutler

Posted by Mike Florio on January 14, 2011, 5:04 PM EST

Rick Reilly has done the impossible.

 

No, he hasn’t written a new version of Leatherheads that doesn’t, you know, completely suck. Reilly has made Bears quarterback Jay Cutler into a sympathetic — and thus likable — figure.

 

Cutler had given us not much to feel good about in five NFL seasons. Apart from playing much of the 2007 season with undiagnosed Type I diabetes (we’d hate to see how long it would have taken to catch the disease if he didn’t work for a company that has a team of doctors available at any given moment), Cutler hasn’t done much of anything that makes many people want to buy his jersey and/or see him be successful.

 

Suddenly, however, we want the guy to be successful. Personally, I want to see him win the Super Bowl.

 

And it’s all Rick Reilly’s fault.

 

When last mentioned on these pages, Reilly was being castigated by Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports for recklessly characterizing some of the nuances of a morning jog on the cobblestones of Pamplona next to a battalion of large, horned mammals. Though Reilly’s latest effort won’t potentially place anyone who relies on the accuracy of his words in danger (grave or otherwise), it represents the kind of superficially-reasoned bias that clumsily hides a deeper agenda.

 

Reilly makes it clear that he doesn’t like Cutler. But it’s unclear why. Maybe Cutler didn’t act sufficiently impressed with the guy who allowed himself to believe that being a damn good back-page-of-SI columnist meant that he had the chops to write movies (he doesn’t) or host SportsCenter (he definitely doesn’t). Maybe “Riles” is simply doing a solid for his old buddy John Elway, persuading Broncos fans to quit moping and whining about the decision to trade Cutler and to start looking ahead to the future. Or maybe Reilly was looking to mail one in during playoff week, and Cutler provided the easiest target for Reilly’s periodic quota of word salad.

 

Reilly’s complaints at times are too petty to even be called petty. He seems to chastise Cutler for handling his charitable works the way that many are taught to handle such business, without seeking publicity, attention, or recognition for their efforts.

 

“He’s a giving person who does things behind the scenes and hates it when he gets found out,” Reilly writes. “A few days before Christmas, he and [girlfriend Kristin] Cavallari brought presents for an entire ward of sick hospital kids. A reporter for the Sun-Times got wind of it and asked him about it. Cutler refused to discuss it.”

 

If that paragraph had appeared in a positive, or even balanced, look at Cutler, there would be nothing significant about it. In the context of Reilly’s column, it comes off as a complaint that Cutler should be more like the athletes who love to talk to others about all the nice things that they do.

 

More than ever, with five episodes of ProFootballTalk Live to produce each week, we realize the importance of content to a media operation. But we wish more NFL athletes would choose not to wear their charitable acts like logos sewn onto their jerseys.

 

Reilly also knocks Cutler for not basking in the limelight that comes with being an NFL quarterback. “Cutler could own Chicago if he wanted,” Reilly says. “In a city that has had as many good quarterbacks as Omaha has had good surfers, Cutler could have his name on half the billboards and all the jerseys. My God, the kid grew up a Bears fan! But he doesn’t even try. He has zero endorsements and doesn’t want any. If there is such a thing as a Jay Cutler Fan Club, Cutler is having a membership drive — to drive them out.”

 

Reilly’s effort to paint Cutler in a bad light has backfired like a ’71 Vega, exposing more about Reilly than he ever would want his audience to know. To Reilly, pro athletes should seek out as much attention as possible. To Reilly, pro athletes should lend their names and likeness to any and all companies that will pay them even more money and provide them even more attention. To Reilly, pro athletes should do charitable works in that same spotlight, so that everyone will see it and, in turn, love them.

 

Well, at least we now understand why Reilly attempted to leverage one thing he does really well into a multi-platform gig at ESPN that promised more money, more fame, and more chances to let the world know that he does charitable works, too.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Like you said before ML: F#*% Reilly!!!

[tshanno]

At the risk of bring down an avalanche of pissed off fans upon my head, I'm going to disagree:

 

http://bearingthenews.com/?p=518

 

[cringe - Don't hit me.]

 

Tom S.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

At the risk of bring down an avalanche of pissed off fans upon my head, I'm going to disagree:

 

http://bearingthenews.com/?p=518

 

[cringe - Don't hit me.]

 

Tom S.

To paraphrase, Tom, you said: "he's too lazy to do endorsements." If he is, so what? He has to care about endorsements to win? Come on. He makes $21m/year. Why would he need a commercial for an extra $1m?

[AZ54]

I have no clue who this guy is:

 

Edward L. Flom once said “One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you’re perceived to be by others.”

 

But this quote is total BS. Every good leader I've known has gone out on their own to lead the way they felt things needed to get done. To sit back and worry what others think about you and let that opinion shape who you are, how you react to things, etc. will never let you be a leader. I don't want my quarterback worried about what the media thinks of him. I want him worried about doing what it takes to win games. Bill Belicik is a total prick to the media and pretty much everyone else but I think it's fair to say he's loved and respected by all the Patriots fans.

 

[tshanno]

I have no clue who this guy is:

 

Edward L. Flom once said “One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you’re perceived to be by others.”

 

But this quote is total BS. Every good leader I've known has gone out on their own to lead the way they felt things needed to get done. To sit back and worry what others think about you and let that opinion shape who you are, how you react to things, etc. will never let you be a leader. I don't want my quarterback worried about what the media thinks of him. I want him worried about doing what it takes to win games. Bill Belicik is a total prick to the media and pretty much everyone else but I think it's fair to say he's loved and respected by all the Patriots fans.

 

I disagree with the "total prick" to the media part. I think Belichick in his own way gives the media what they need from him in his own way, especially in the last couple year. Though its part of it, my point about Cutler is not really about the fans and the media, anyway. The problem is that they are probably just the tip of the ice berg.

 

I said, "Cutler Needs to Care if He Wants to Lead". That means he has to care about what the team cares about. That means communicating with the fans through the media. It means you have to communicate with teammates. It means you have to give ex-players like Elway and Lynch the time of day. It means that, as a leader, Cutler often has to do things he doesn't want to do - a lot of things - and his attitude is an indication that some of those things probably aren't being done.

 

I cited Brady as an example of how its done and tried, apparently unsuccessfully, to explain why its important. Brady actually cares because the team and the fans care, not because he does. So he gives things his attention that he'd otherwise completely ignore.

 

Who the hell wants to talk to the media about anything? Who the hell wants to work to project a positive public image? But that's part of the job. What other parts of the job isn't he doing?

 

Lest anyone doubt, I do recognize that there are two sides to this story. Cutler won yesterday. Brady didn't. But I'll stand by my opinion here, anyway.

 

Tom S.

[CrackerDog]

At the risk of bring down an avalanche of pissed off fans upon my head, I'm going to disagree:

 

http://bearingthenews.com/?p=518

 

[cringe - Don't hit me.]

 

Tom S.

 

Tom, you know I'm a fan of yours and that I was down on Cutler after that game against the Giants when he seemed to quit (later to find that he may have had a concussion earlier than originally thought.) But your statement: "He’s a guy who’s just too lazy to go out of his way to do something he doesn’t want to do" is complete bullshit. I'm a tell it like it is guy and there is simply NO WAY you or anyone else could know what motivates Jay Cutler to be the way he is. And frankly, if someone, in this day and age, wants to be singularly focused on football instead of money, shame on those who would have it any other way. I regret my earlier comments calling Jay out in the Giants game because all other evidence suggests we may just have a true ironman type, ala Favre, without all the prima donna bullshit that typically accompanies that type of personality. Jay has taken an absolute beating this year, both physically and verbally, and he's jumped back up, smirked at the naysayers, and kicked their asses hard in response. Not always successful but never lacking effort.

 

I'll take that type of leadership.

[madlithuanian]

You can make fun of Cutler. He is your pledge... Reilly can eat a sack of nuts. At least you have followed Cutler at length as a fan of the team and base your opinion on what you've seen. Reilly just got the Cliff's notes version from the ESPN douchebags to write his article.

 

My thing...as long as Cutler is winning, his teammates like him, and he's not getting arrested,etc...I love him! He's still maturing. He's a young man. Maybe made a mistake dissing Elway or not making smiley faces with the media...but, he seems to be improving as an NFL QB. And that's what I want.

 

At the risk of bring down an avalanche of pissed off fans upon my head, I'm going to disagree:

 

http://bearingthenews.com/?p=518

 

[cringe - Don't hit me.]

 

Tom S.

 

[tshanno]

Tom, you know I'm a fan of yours and that I was down on Cutler after that game against the Giants when he seemed to quit (later to find that he may have had a concussion earlier than originally thought.) But your statement: "He’s a guy who’s just too lazy to go out of his way to do something he doesn’t want to do" is complete bullshit. I'm a tell it like it is guy and there is simply NO WAY you or anyone else could know what motivates Jay Cutler to be the way he is.

 

Good to hear from you, Cracker.

 

You're right. I don't *know* anything. I judge by what I see and, like most people, I try to extrapolate.

 

His agent undoubtedly tells him he could make a fortune with product endorsements. Cutler says it distracts from football but really. It on his off day and its highly unlikely that he's sitting in the film room on Monday going over Lions tape. Its very, very unlikely he's doing it in March. From what we hear, few players study the game as hard as Peyton Manning. Few players have as many endorsements.

 

It's really that Cutler doesn't do it because he just doesn't want to. And that's fine if that's all it is. But it's not. Its a symptom.

 

He doesn't want to deal with the media and - at least indirectly - the fans. So he doesn't do it. Or more accurately he does as crappy a job of it as possible. He doesn't want to talk to John Elway so he sits and looks at the TV and he doesn't do it. He doesn't want to hear what John Lynch has to say so he texts his friends instead of listening because he doesn't want to do it.

 

The problem with football - and life - is that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. They are usually things that aren't important to you but which are important to others and you have to do them not just for your own good but for their good and for the good of the team. That's an awful lot of what being a leader is. I don't *know* what Cutler does and doesn't do. But the evidence of my eyes tells me that if its not important to him, he's not likely to give it as much as the time of day.

 

Again, to be clear, the one thing I *do* know is that there are two sides to this story and I don't want it to sound like I think they should be trying to get rid of the guy or anything. But having said that, I think that it's a problem. It might not be a big problem. They're a game away from the Super Bowl. But I think it's a problem nevertheless.

 

Tom S.

[CrackerDog]

But I think it's a problem nevertheless.

 

Tom S.

 

Lot's of guesswork on your part, my friend. Hell, for the few examples given, it's tough to say there's an issue at all. What if he was having a problem with his girlfriend the day Lynch or Elway was available to him to talk and he was preoccupied? We've all been there... Or it could be the Elway thing is being blown outta proportion because Denver is still feeling used and abused by the trade. I've heard Reilly wrote his article before he got to Chicago!

 

I'm not trying to make excuses for him either and as you say, there's two sides. If he turns into a commercial machine this spring, I hope it's because he's just been the winning QB in the Superbowl. That's ALL I give a shit about. I think seeing Manning in every other commercial on television is incredibly annoying. This latest with the "40, 40, 40!" line is enough for me to want to punch him in the face!

 

It's also a reflection of the leadership of the team, in my opinion. We saw the Bears in 1985 doing the Superbowl Shuffle and hundreds of commercials because Ditka and Ryan were different than Smith. And you're missing one HUGE item that Reilly also missed, the Bears were expected to blow this year by almost everyone in the national media. Remember? This leads to two realities: 1. They'd have to admit they were wrong by giving Cutler and other Bears lots of air time and good press and 2. The folks that sign guys to endorse products don't usually choose players from teams that suck (or are expected to suck.)

 

Further, what you and most of the critics seem to miss about Jay is that he's young and hasn't really experienced any level of success to date. He's just won his first damn playoff game! And after that win he seemed to lighten up some, didn't he? His confidence is still building. His comment on Reilly was perfect! Face it, you don't even start to get coached on being the guy in the spotlight until there's one on you. In Denver he had to live under the Elway shadow... Here, he's just getting to the level of success expected of him.

 

Lastly, contrary to one of your statements, I can think of plenty of Superbowl winning QB's who weren't media darlings. Those two things are more connected these days than ever before, and only, as mentioned above, because those looking for people to endorse their products like to be associated with winners. Jay is now a winner regardless of what happens this coming weekend (unless there's a total meltdown which I don't anticipate.) He's a surly guy with the press but I respect that since 98% of the press is made up of complete morons looking to stir up trouble. He isn't endorsing 47 products because he hasn't done shit yet. I say give him time and a little training and he'll grow into that role. The first step: Win.

[Lucky Luciano]

Lot's of guesswork on your part, my friend. Hell, for the few examples given, it's tough to say there's an issue at all. What if he was having a problem with his girlfriend the day Lynch or Elway was available to him to talk and he was preoccupied? We've all been there... Or it could be the Elway thing is being blown outta proportion because Denver is still feeling used and abused by the trade. I've heard Reilly wrote his article before he got to Chicago!

 

I'm not trying to make excuses for him either and as you say, there's two sides. If he turns into a commercial machine this spring, I hope it's because he's just been the winning QB in the Superbowl. That's ALL I give a shit about. I think seeing Manning in every other commercial on television is incredibly annoying. This latest with the "40, 40, 40!" line is enough for me to want to punch him in the face!

 

It's also a reflection of the leadership of the team, in my opinion. We saw the Bears in 1985 doing the Superbowl Shuffle and hundreds of commercials because Ditka and Ryan were different than Smith. And you're missing one HUGE item that Reilly also missed, the Bears were expected to blow this year by almost everyone in the national media. Remember? This leads to two realities: 1. They'd have to admit they were wrong by giving Cutler and other Bears lots of air time and good press and 2. The folks that sign guys to endorse products don't usually choose players from teams that suck (or are expected to suck.)

 

Further, what you and most of the critics seem to miss about Jay is that he's young and hasn't really experienced any level of success to date. He's just won his first damn playoff game! And after that win he seemed to lighten up some, didn't he? His confidence is still building. His comment on Reilly was perfect! Face it, you don't even start to get coached on being the guy in the spotlight until there's one on you. In Denver he had to live under the Elway shadow... Here, he's just getting to the level of success expected of him.

 

Lastly, contrary to one of your statements, I can think of plenty of Superbowl winning QB's who weren't media darlings. Those two things are more connected these days than ever before, and only, as mentioned above, because those looking for people to endorse their products like to be associated with winners. Jay is now a winner regardless of what happens this coming weekend (unless there's a total meltdown which I don't anticipate.) He's a surly guy with the press but I respect that since 98% of the press is made up of complete morons looking to stir up trouble. He isn't endorsing 47 products because he hasn't done shit yet. I say give him time and a little training and he'll grow into that role. The first step: Win.

 

gotta agree.

 

i couldn't care less if he wants his privacy and NEVER talks to the media. as long as he doesn't beat women, children and dogs or is a rapist, thug or murderer, who really cares what he does or doesn't do? if he gives his job 100% and is reasonably civil with his teammates and not a locker room cancer that's all that counts with me.

[tshanno]

i couldn't care less if he wants his privacy and NEVER talks to the media. as long as he doesn't beat women, children and dogs or is a rapist, thug or murderer, who really cares what he does or doesn't do? if he gives his job 100% and is reasonably civil with his teammates and not a locker room cancer that's all that counts with me.

 

I would argue that he's not giving his job 100% if he never talks to the fans through the media. But I'd be wasting my breath around here, I think. For what its worth, you guys aren't the exceptions. I haven't many fans who are willing to agree with me. It lonely out on this limb.

 

Anyway, I'm glad to see things working out so well on the field. Let's hope they all keep it up.

 

Tom S.

[GrizzlyBear]

Well to me its appearant that the locker room like him quite a bit, Olsen, one the most vocal bears is his best friend. Saying that tells me more then a idiot columnist. Most times , personalities of opposite attract. Olsen being the out-going type and Cutler being the shy type. I think Jay is quite the outspoken person with Olsen but with the Media he may have shyness that makes him look defensive. As he gains more time in front of the camera and realize that reporters are not all out to critique his talk he will loosen up. But from all I have read prior to his arrival in Chicago, his was constantly being hammered by the press in Denver for his personality without ever realizing it maybe just shyness. Being thrust into the spotlight like in Chicago can be a daunting task. Remember he came from a small town, went to a college not really known as powerhouse school. Then to Denver a relatively small market team.

 

It shows a pattern of personality that can be said is shy. People that dont look you in the eye, talk very soft, show defensive stance or eluf manner are generaly shy. Not everyone is Jimmy Mac or Ditka. Personality like Jays (if shy) would stay away from media endorsements. But like it was said already: who cares as long as we win the superbowl.!!!!

[Doug Plank]

Short of operating a dog-fighting ranch, I don't care what Cutler is or does as long as he wins.

[tshanno]

Well to me its appearant that the locker room like him quite a bit, Olsen, one the most vocal bears is his best friend. Saying that tells me more then a idiot columnist. Most times , personalities of opposite attract. Olsen being the out-going type and Cutler being the shy type. I think Jay is quite the outspoken person with Olsen but with the Media he may have shyness that makes him look defensive.

 

Like Reilly, I think it says something when the only thing your best friend can say in your defense when asked what kind of guy you are is, "He is what he is."

 

I've seen Cutler a lot in public, particularly answering questions from fans. He looks a lot like he does on the podium with the press - he gives the fans a little more attention and he's not quite as bad because he doesn't have to do it every day. But believe me he is not shy and he does not lack confidence. He smirks, looks superior and its all he can do to answer the question if he thinks its a dumb one. Its a milder version what you see with the press. He *might* be insecure though and that might cause him to be defensive when he shouldn't be.

 

Tom S.

[GrizzlyBear]

thats your opinion, your welcome to it, but I see it differently. No biggie. Not everyone can be Brett Favre with the Media or fans.

[madlithuanian]

Griz...who's opinion are you addressing?

 

thats your opinion, your welcome to it, but I see it differently. No biggie. Not everyone can be Brett Favre with the Media or fans.

 

[GrizzlyBear]

Mine,

[tshanno]

thats your opinion, your welcome to it, but I see it differently. No biggie. Not everyone can be Brett Favre with the Media or fans.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom S.

[Controlled Chaos]

Bob LeGere had a great response to that Reily article.

 

Who's the jerk?

Posted by Bob LeGere on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 03:46

 

According to ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly, quarterback Jay Cutler is some kind of creep because he didn’t idolize any NFL quarterbacks as a kid.

 

Maybe he had other, more worthy role models like his parents or a teacher.

 

Reilly rips Cutler because he doesn’t have any endorsements and doesn’t want any. Brilliant. Better he should be a money-grubbing shill, willing to endorse anything for a buck. What kind of a jerk focuses on doing his job at the expense of making easy money? How dare he?

 

And, according to Reilly, Cutler is misguided because he refuses to publicize his hospital visits to children, especially those who battle Type I diabetes just as he does. Apparently, in Reilly’s world, it’s nobler to draw attention to yourself for doing good deeds, rather than just doing them and not expecting anything in return.

 

Better Cutler should be like former Bear Ted Washington, a fat, mean-spirited, miserable excuse for a human being, who did the occasional United Way commercial but was a flaming heap of garbage the other 99 percent of the time.

 

Maybe Reilly was just salty because, after he had invested three hours of his time at Halas Hall, Cutler declined to bare his soul, get in touch with his inner child or explain in detail what it is that makes him tick.

 

Imagine the gall of Cutler not to genuflect and share with Reilly his innermost thoughts the moment he saw him. What was Cutler thinking? How could he be so arrogant? I mean, this was THE Rick Reilly. How could he dare not answer HIS questions.

 

Guy walks in off the street and wants to know how many people in the pressroom really know Cutler. Really? How well does anyone in the media or any fan know any of the Bears?

 

Does Cutler come off as arrogant and disinterested during press conferences? Absolutely. Does he have any use for the media? Doubtful. Does he fail to look people in the eyes when he’s talking? Sometimes, maybe a lot of the time, but he’s getting better.

 

Does he limit his accessibility to once a week and after the game? Yup. But he’s not uncooperative. For the record, I’ve gotten a decent answer to every decent question I’ve ever asked Cutler.

 

But then again, I wasn’t trying to psychoanalyze him, and I didn’t have an agenda.

 

There is an arrogant horse’s rear end in this story, but it isn’t the Bears’ quarterback.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Interesting take on Ted Washington.

[selection7]

The problem with football - and life - is that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. They are usually things that aren't important to you but which are important to others and you have to do them not just for your own good but for their good and for the good of the team. That's an awful lot of what being a leader is. I don't *know* what Cutler does and doesn't do. But the evidence of my eyes tells me that if its not important to him, he's not likely to give it as much as the time of day.

 

Tom S.

I think calling him lazy is making a huge assumption. His work ethic with the Bears just does not indicate the sort of extreme laziness you suggest (after all, doing an ad is easy money in comparison).

Cutler doesn't want to play up the ad stuff because he doesn't want to owe the media/fans anymore than he has to, and there's an unwritten understanding that if you can successfully sell yourself in ad media, you have the news media and the fans to thank. It's true, but the tradeoff is they will try to take your soul when the time comes. Jay should get to choose whether he wants that tradeoff or not.

Yes, fans pay his salary anyway, but for that he does what he's supposed to on the field and at practice. And there is a difference between not giving some pompous media jerk the time of day (there's a lot of 'em) and not bothering to acknowledge some kid who's a huge Bear fan after practice. The stuff about his Denver cronies is not good, I agree, but it's also old news and this is a new city, so where are the similar stories with respect to his time here in Chicago?

 

I like what you said about sometimes you have to learn to do things you don't care about just because it's important to someone else, but the key is sometimes. So many people do what's expected of them just because they're afraid of what people will think, but Jay doesn't care about that bs. I'd like to believe that these days Jay knows the difference between that and doing something important for others.

 

Also, this media guy's complaint reminds me of that other Chicago writer that decided because Urlacher was a curt sourpuss with the media, he deserved all the scorn the guy could possibly dish out in print. That takes an incredible arrogance and lack of empathy. So I'm not on this Reilly guy's side either.

[madlithuanian]

Yeah, I had no idea. I liked big Ted.

 

Interesting take on Ted Washington.

 

[tshanno]

I think calling him lazy is making a huge assumption. His work ethic with the Bears just does not indicate the sort of extreme laziness you suggest (after all, doing an ad is easy money in comparison).

 

To be clear, I think his work ethic is *likely* not very good with things that aren't important to him (if you extrapolate from the facts that surround his treatment of others - media, John Elway, John Lynch, etc...). Leadership often means being concerned about what's important to others.

 

Tom S.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Yeah, I had no idea. I liked big Ted.

I don't know why, but thinking of Ted reminded me of that one pick Keith Traylor had (I think against Denver). One of the most entertaining plays I've ever witnessed.

 

Note: It was against the Jaguars. Below is a link to the video.