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Chris Cutler, a Quarterback for the Chicago bears was accused of being a quitter after leaving the game with a leg injury. Or, more accurately, leaving the game with a leg injury, coming back, then leaving and standing on the sidelines for the rest of his team's loss.
A lot of people were criticizing him even before the game ended. Many players (mostly running backs or defensive players, if I recall correctly, but I have been mistaken) were saying that if he can stand up on the sideline, he should still be in the game. Once the diagnosis was released (Sprained MCL) people were not assuaged, saying you should play on a sprained MCL, or even a torn MCL.
Cutler cried during a press conference when told about that, he said he left the game, and was told by sideline doctors he shouldn't return. He made a few throws, but left when he found he couldn't plant his feet right.
A great deal has been made about the importance of toughness in the NFL. People have played on broken legs or with separated shoulders.
Cutler left the game, and has been catching a lot of flack for 'quitting' in a big game, and that if he can stand on the sideline, he can stand in the pocket.
Perhaps some other players would have told the doctors and coaches no, I'm going back out there. But Cutler didn't, which evidently means he's unworthy to play football.
I don't like the criticism of him. If I played football, and a doctor said don't go back on the field, I wouldn't go back on the field. If I tried to go back on the field, and found that a vital part of my game (his ability to plant his foot) was fucked with, I would think that's a good reason to try to give the healthy back-up a try.
One thing people forget (and I think this is an effect of Fantasy Football culture to focus on individual stats instead of the team, but I'm no judge) is that QBs have backups. I figure Cutler had an injury that he was able to play through. But I think he thought "yes, I could play through this, although the doctors have said it'd probably wreck my leg up. If I play through and win, there's a good chance I won't be able to play in the superbowl. If I give the other guy a chance, and he comes back, then I'll probably be healthy enough for the big game."
He didn't quit. He just took himself out of the game when he thought that his playing would have hurt his team's chances. Or possibly, he thought it was to much of a danger to him personally. Either way, he didn't 'quit' on his team.
Other players have played with broken legs. They deserve praise. Jay Cutler didn't. That doesn't mean he's not tough. He was hit 59 times this season before he left in that game, and he never went off the field. He also plays through diabetes, which despite how people mock it, is a disease that can cause serious difficulty.
I think the fact that he cried at the press conference tells me he's no quitter. If he'd quit out of laziness or whatever, he'd be defending himself. His crying gave me the feeling that he had wanted to go back, but felt he couldn't, and was upset that people were upset with him for a decision he didn't want to make.
But that's me. Debate-y types, start your engines. Is Jay Cutler a quitter? Is he too much of a wimp to play football? Should he have come back? Would you do your job with an equivalent debilitation? Let's say disorientation/101 fever, but its not contagious and you'll be able to perform your job, but poorly. It won't effect your continued employment if you take the day off, but its likely that your business will miss a major opportunity to increase revenue/prestige/job performance/whatever. You going has no guarantee you'll get that reward, but you'd have a chance at having a chance at getting a lot of money for being employee of the year.
Trying to make the analogy work, if you think its flawed, I'll try to make it better, but I don't want to just say "Would you come back with a sprained MCL in the NFC championships" because that decision is too divorced from your real life. You can say you'd come back, but you've likelynever tried playing on a sprained MCL during a high-stakes sporting event.
A lot of people were criticizing him even before the game ended. Many players (mostly running backs or defensive players, if I recall correctly, but I have been mistaken) were saying that if he can stand up on the sideline, he should still be in the game. Once the diagnosis was released (Sprained MCL) people were not assuaged, saying you should play on a sprained MCL, or even a torn MCL.
Cutler cried during a press conference when told about that, he said he left the game, and was told by sideline doctors he shouldn't return. He made a few throws, but left when he found he couldn't plant his feet right.
A great deal has been made about the importance of toughness in the NFL. People have played on broken legs or with separated shoulders.
Cutler left the game, and has been catching a lot of flack for 'quitting' in a big game, and that if he can stand on the sideline, he can stand in the pocket.
Perhaps some other players would have told the doctors and coaches no, I'm going back out there. But Cutler didn't, which evidently means he's unworthy to play football.
I don't like the criticism of him. If I played football, and a doctor said don't go back on the field, I wouldn't go back on the field. If I tried to go back on the field, and found that a vital part of my game (his ability to plant his foot) was fucked with, I would think that's a good reason to try to give the healthy back-up a try.
One thing people forget (and I think this is an effect of Fantasy Football culture to focus on individual stats instead of the team, but I'm no judge) is that QBs have backups. I figure Cutler had an injury that he was able to play through. But I think he thought "yes, I could play through this, although the doctors have said it'd probably wreck my leg up. If I play through and win, there's a good chance I won't be able to play in the superbowl. If I give the other guy a chance, and he comes back, then I'll probably be healthy enough for the big game."
He didn't quit. He just took himself out of the game when he thought that his playing would have hurt his team's chances. Or possibly, he thought it was to much of a danger to him personally. Either way, he didn't 'quit' on his team.
Other players have played with broken legs. They deserve praise. Jay Cutler didn't. That doesn't mean he's not tough. He was hit 59 times this season before he left in that game, and he never went off the field. He also plays through diabetes, which despite how people mock it, is a disease that can cause serious difficulty.
I think the fact that he cried at the press conference tells me he's no quitter. If he'd quit out of laziness or whatever, he'd be defending himself. His crying gave me the feeling that he had wanted to go back, but felt he couldn't, and was upset that people were upset with him for a decision he didn't want to make.
But that's me. Debate-y types, start your engines. Is Jay Cutler a quitter? Is he too much of a wimp to play football? Should he have come back? Would you do your job with an equivalent debilitation? Let's say disorientation/101 fever, but its not contagious and you'll be able to perform your job, but poorly. It won't effect your continued employment if you take the day off, but its likely that your business will miss a major opportunity to increase revenue/prestige/job performance/whatever. You going has no guarantee you'll get that reward, but you'd have a chance at having a chance at getting a lot of money for being employee of the year.
Trying to make the analogy work, if you think its flawed, I'll try to make it better, but I don't want to just say "Would you come back with a sprained MCL in the NFC championships" because that decision is too divorced from your real life. You can say you'd come back, but you've likelynever tried playing on a sprained MCL during a high-stakes sporting event.
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