It honestly is too easy to write this. You knew it was coming. You read the millions of facebook statuses, you navigated through the endless hashtags on Twitter calling Cutler a pussy. But why? Was it because we expected our starting quarterback to look interested in the biggest game of his career? Are we mad because we invested more emotion into Sunday's game than Cutler did? Who knows what his injury was, and honestly, who cares? He didn't even look to make an effort to return once he stepped outside the painted lines on the Soldier Field turf Sunday. The absolute least Cutler could have done was give the obligatory limp to the huddle, muster up the courage to take a few snaps, wince in pain, and partake in a completely staged conversation with the athletic trainer demanding that he return to the game. But that's exactly what didn't happen. Aaron Rodgers was taking helmets to the chin, staring down the teeth of the Bears' with a look of defiance, and our chubby quarterback remained stationary on the sideline pondering why he has more than one chin with a smug "What do you think is on UPN Power 50 right now?" look on his face. The only impressive thing Jay did on Sunday was somehow performing live at halftime and showing the raucous Soldier Field crowd his vocal range. Wait, that Lee DeWyze? Who knew? As soon as his phantom "knee injury" (which no one saw, mind you) flared up, Jay strolled to the sidelines, put on his Bears issued trench coat, and talked Caleb Hanie through his progressions on a clipboard that actually had a Chinese takeout menu attached to it instead of Mike Martz's playbook. You can't help but be impressed with Caleb Hanie. He showed some stones and gave the Bears a fighting chance in the final minutes. Then again, he was following Todd Collins, so it really couldn't get much worse unless Crazytown's hit single "Butterfly" was playing in the background of the venue where you were watching the game.
What can you really expect when you have your 3rd string signal caller at the helm in the biggest game of the season? He did all we could ask for and more. All we knew about Caleb Hanie before Sunday was that he had a below average first name and threw a couple good seeds against the Panthers early in the year. Technically, you can say the same thing about Seneca Wallace. Anyway, after reading Rick Reilly's article on ESPN about Cutler last week (I honestly never read Rick Reilly, I think he's a total worm), it occurred to me that maybe Cutler didn't want it. After being saddled with mediocrity as both an amateur (Vandy) and as a professional (Denver and Chicago), perhaps Jay just didn't want the decoration. Maybe he doesn't want to be a "big game quarterback". Maybe he just wants to be a renegade (shot out Uncle Poklop) like Big Ben but not wear the ring like the bathroom rapist does. Even when Collins came in, he looked emotionally invested in the outcome of the game. Granted, he sucks, and he looks like the kind of loser who buys his entire wardrobe at Land's End, but at least he was amp'd up. I mean, Christ, it's the NFC Championship!
When Urlacher stepped up to the mic at his post-game interview and stood behind Cutler (stood behind, get it? hehehe), nobody's opinion changed. He had to do that. If he calls Jay out in front of the national media, the Bears would fold easier than wax paper next year. But could you sense some disappointment? From Urlacher, from Martz, from Lovie, from some random Bear fan named Allan in Wicker Park. Everyone was disappointed. But in the end, maybe we were just disillusioned as to the people we put in positions of power. Gulp, thanks Jay.
As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man is looking to the NBA as the avenue to achieve his first career betting win as a 23 year old man. For Monday night, the Pulse Man likes the Bucks in Chicago getting 8 points.
Pick of the Day: Bucks(+8) @ Bulls- BUCKS
Record:(47-33-0)
Thanks again to all the people who wrote guest blogs and sent in predictions last week. Congratulations on being a part of the internet. It's a wonderful feeling.
Now I'm done. Rack me
Frost
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