The Jay Cutler leadership argument is something Chicago Bears fans had to endure for almost a decade. Nobody could be entirely sure whether this guy was the real deal. Did he have the charisma and psychological understanding to get other football players to follow him? Some teammates have sworn people misjudge him. That he’s a great person to have in the huddle.
If this were true then why did so many others take the opportunity to slam him the moment they left Chicago? Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett and Antrel Rolle among others didn’t hold back in their criticisms. There’s just a lot of inconsistency there. Some claim he’s a good leader. Others basically fall one step short of calling him every name in the naughty book.
Jay Cutler leadership came down to treatment
It wasn’t until Cutler decided to hang up his cleats that some clarification came out. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune spoke with a former teammate of Cutler’s. His statement was short, but more than a little enlightening.
Had a teammate who genuinely liked Jay tell me this once, "He thinks everybody else is an idiot. That's the baseline he works off."
This is in fact a perfect explanation as to why Cutler is so divisive. Some people have thick skin. They probably can tell Jay isn’t that bad a person even when he treats them like they’re dumb. Others? Not so much. They want their leader to be encouraging, to lift them up. Treating them like some meathead who never read a book in his life isn’t exactly the best path to such things.
Then again charisma and camaraderie were not two words ever associated with Jay. He had his clique of friends, his inner circle of guys he’d roll with. Greg Olsen and Kyle Long being two notables. Outside of them? It can be easy finding many former teammates who didn’t care for him. Not just in Chicago but all the way back to his days in Denver.
A common theme with human beings this day and age is they don’t like being treated stupid. It seems Cutler ignored that warning sign just like he ignored a lot of keys to playing the quarterback position at a high level.
With the recent news about Jay Cutler joining FOX’s broadcast booth, his name is once again dominating the headlines. Arguably one of the most scrutinized Chicago athletes of all-time, the opinions on Cutler are flying once again today due to FOX’s announcement.
One person that didn’t hold back their opinion on Cutler was two-time Super Bowl Champion Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs, now retired, played in the league from 2005-13 and was apparently exposed to Cutler’s personality enough to make the following comments about him.
“Jay Cutler is just the obvious. Just disengaged, he was put here with a talent but only played football because his parents wanted him to play and he ended up being good at it. So he took the scholarship, didn’t go to a school that can push him even though he did get drafted, I think in the first round. He went to Vandy, like oh I’m gonna go to Vandy and ya know whatever. Then he, I just think he didn’t like football.”
Pretty strong comments from Jacobs as he appears to be one of many players to have mixed feelings about Cutler’s personality. Adam Gase chimed in today commenting that all the rumors about Cutler are “bullshit” but Dan Wiederer released a competing tweet with the following information:
Had a teammate who genuinely liked Jay tell me this once, "He thinks everybody else is an idiot. That's the baseline he works off."
One thing seems for sure, Cutler rubbed most people the wrong way but those closest to him routinely negate the rumors that he’s socially awkward.
“He’s better off watching the games next to me on Sundays.” Jacobs about Cutler
In any case, Jacobs apparently doesn’t think Cutler ever wanted to play football … if you asked Bears fans some might say those feelings briefly showed themselves from time to time on Sundays.
Cutler in the broadcast booth should be media fire. Stand by ladies and gentleman.
July 24, 2009; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome (25) bats in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Tigers won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-US PRESSWIRE
Having only spent three and a half seasons in Chicago, it’s easy for fans to forget about Jim Thome’s short stint with the White Sox, but looking back, it’s worth noting just how good of a hitter he really was.
In saying that, Thome struggled in the early part of his career and he credits a lot of his success to Charlie Manuel, who helped provide a rather simple solution to a rather big problem back in 1993.
It’s only natural for a player like Jim Thome to have a routine when entering the batter’s box. Having played for 22 seasons and having hit over 600 home runs, slowing things down was the key to speeding things up so to speak for big Jim.
We all can picture it.
Here’s Thome providing the reasoning behind it all….
The Bears Trubisky pick is still making headlines across the NFL with a full week having transpired since it was made. Needless to say the opinions have varied. Some experts panned the move, citing it reckless and way too expensive. Others admire the aggressiveness of GM Ryan Pace to finally try solving a position that has haunted Chicago for decades. Regardless of stance, the choice caused a stir.
What people couldn’t be sure of is whether or not the trade by Pace to go from #3 to #2 overall was worth it. Most claimed they basically bid against themselves. Gave up valuable picks for a player who would’ve been available had they stayed put. Details over the past few days though seem to argue against that stance. Not only did the Titans and Jaguars stop receiving trade calls from teams after the Trubisky pick, word is it completely ruined the weekend for one team in particular.
Bears Trubisky pick shattered a promise to Browns owner
Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller, now an analyst for CSN Chicago, heard from his sources on draft day that Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was furious his team wasn’t able to get back up the board to land Trubisky. He explained on the Bears Talk podcast why Pace made the right move.
“No I’m not because I was told specifically on draft day that the owner of the Cleveland Browns was very upset, Jimmy Haslam, that they didn’t get Mitchell Trubisky. He was promised that they were going to get him. It didn’t happen. Even Hue Jackson came out today and said he thought Patrick Mahomes had the most upside of any quarterback.
Well, they failed from that aspect too with Cleveland because Kansas City leapfrogged them going from I think #25 (#27) to #10 to go to the Buffalo Bills spot. So not only did Cleveland miss on Trubisky, then they missed on Mahomes who their head coach wanted.”
This explanation falls right in line with the information coming out of Cleveland before the draft. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com among others stated Trubisky was in serious consideration for the #1 pick. Some in the organization were nervous they could miss getting him if they chose to go the expected route of taking Myles Garrett.
Failed to pay the price
The infatuation of Haslam with Trubisky made perfect sense. Trubisky is an Ohio native who grew up not too far from Cleveland proper. The Browns were his favorite team. It’s a movie script that basically writes itself. A hometown boy grows up to take over at quarterback of his childhood team. The stuff dreams can be made. Also something that city seems to thrive on, having seen Bernie Kosar and LeBron James reach similar success.
It’s understandable the Browns felt confident they could move back up for Trubisky. They had more than enough draft capital to do so. Unfortunately it seems they weren’t able to meet the price demanded by 49ers GM John Lynch. They also failed to recognize the Bears were interested until it was far too late. A testament to the deception plan hatched by Pace and his staff. Often the biggest key to battlefield success is the element of surprise.
Suffice to say the Browns were stunned when Chicago jumped to #2 to ruin their promise. Lying to somebody like Haslam has not proven to be a good thing these days. After all the man has replaced the head coach and GM positions three times since he bought the franchise back in 2012. He expects results. Thus far they haven’t gotten many.
Kyle Schwarber pulled off a great “Happy Gilmore” impersonation during a trip to one of everyone’s favorite places, Top Golf. In case you’re unaware, Top Golf is a great spot to have a few drinks and act like you know how to golf. A standard trip to Top Golf usually entails drinking too many beers and attempting to hit every golf ball as hard as you can.
Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber recently showed off his um — unique — golf swing when he was at Top Golf. The sad thing is, even though his swing is jacked up, he still absolutely murders this golf ball.
The Cubs are set to take on the New York Yankees in a three-game series this weekend and there is already a buzz starting to circulate around Wrigley Field. The buzz is a result of both teams being absolutely loaded with young talent which has led each team to finding themselves atop their respective divisions.
Not to mention the fact the Cubs and Yankees are two of the most storied franchises in baseball history.
As a Cubs fan, I’m excited to see the return of two former Cubs, Aroldis Chapman and Starlin Castro. The last time Cubs fans saw Chapman, he was throwing in Game 7 of the World Series in a game that he would end up being the winning pitcher. It’ll be cool to see Chapman again but honestly, I’m used to seeing him in an opposing team’s uniform since he only was a Cub for three months.
Castro, on the other hand, has played the bulk of his career in Chicago and this weekend’s series will be the first time he’s played at Wrigley Field on an opposing team — ever.
Castro had a roller coaster career during his time in Chicago but Cubs fans should realize exactly how big of a role he played in helping the team win the 2016 World Series. No, he wasn’t on the 2016 team therefore he couldn’t physically help them, but there are three reasons why he deserves to get praised for helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series title.
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 11: at Soldier Field on August 11, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Broncos defeated the Bears 22-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The controversy surrounding the story of the Chicago Bears trading up to the number two pick to select Mitchell Trubisky has been debated for days now. One of the most popular headlines of the week has been the quote from “people in the know” that indicated Mike Glennon felt “cheated.” While celebrating at the official Bears draft party, Glennon found out at the same time as the rest of the world that Chicago had drafted their quarterback of the future. Considering Glennon just signed a three-year $45 million deal, after being a free agent with the ability to choose any interested city, he reportedly felt like the Bears had done him wrong.
Kyle Long recently addressed the situation while talking with the Chicago Sun-Times. He indicated that deciding what to say to Glennon, after the Trubisky pick, was something he had thought about.
“I saw Glennon, and I said, ‘Dude, there’s a reason you’re here,'” Long said. “‘That’s all I can say. They don’t bring people in and pay them that kind of money for nothing. Get your competitive shoes on and get ready to kick some butt.'”
Most people in Chicago expect Trubisky to sit for his first season and Glennon to be the starter based on past comments by Ryan Pace. However, the Seahawks set a trend a few years ago when they signed Matt Flynn to a three-year $26 million contract and then started third-round pick Russell Wilson. Three Pro Bowls, two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl title later, NFL experts would agree it’s in the coach’s best interest to start the most talented player …. regardless of contract.
Therefore, Trubisky could play much sooner than everyone is expecting but he’s going to need to show drastic improvement during camp.
“As is well-documented, Mitch doesn’t have a very long career behind him — which sounds familiar,” Long said. “We’re an equal-opportunity employer. Competition is always welcome.”
Pace’s mission in Chicago to find the quarterback of the future is now in full stride. After failing to select a quarterback in his first two drafts with the team, Pace is expected to have two starter-level players as the season approaches.
You better believe every single eye in Chicago will be watching Glennon vs. Trubisky when camps starts on July 26th.
There will be a ton of excitement in the air this weekend when the New York Yankees visit Wrigley Field for the first time since 2014. The Yankees bring in one of the most dynamic offenses in the game led by 7’9″ 419 pound outfielder Aaron Judge and his MLB leading 13 home runs. It will also be the first time the Wrigley faithful will get to see their former hero, Aroldis Chapman, since he last pitched in Game 7 of the World Series. Lastly, there will be a mini reunion of sorts as former high school teammates Kris Bryant and Yankees reliever Chasen Shreve will be reunited as opponents at the Friendly Confines.
Needless to say, it should be a damn good series.
Bryant and Shreve were teammates at Bonanza High School from 2006-2008 on a team that also featured Bryant’s future brother-in-law, Tomo Delp, and Kris’ older brother, Nick.
Back Row (Left To Right): Nick Bryant, Chasen Shreve, Kris Bryant, Tomo Delp (2007)
Shreve was two years older than Bryant and was the team’s star pitcher and outfielder. Their former head coach, Derek Stafford, told me that if Shreve wasn’t pitching in the Majors right now, “he’d definitely be playing outfield in the minors. Just a tremendous athlete.”
I asked Bryant’s older brother, Nick, what made Shreve such a special pitcher.
“Chasen was just a flat out gamer. He never backed down from a challenge and he just finds a way to win because he’s smart. He also has a great change up now which makes his fastball look that much more explosive.”
That explosiveness led the Atlanta Braves to draft Shreve in the 11th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft which happened to be the same year that Bryant graduated from Bonanza.
While Bryant was playing college ball at the University of San Diego from 2010-2013, Shreve was in the Braves farm system before he was called up to make his big league debut in 2014 (while Bryant was at AAA Iowa).
2015 turned out to be a turning point in both guys’ careers — Bryant made his Cubs debut and Shreve was traded from the Braves to the New York Yankees. As we all know, Bryant went on to win the Rookie of the Year with the Cubs but Shreve also saw some success in his first year with the Yankees. He hit a rough spot the last few months of the season due to some arm soreness but still managed to end the season 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 59 game appearances.
The two kept in touch over the years and still remain friends to this day (Shreve was at Bryant’s wedding in January.) They’ve never officially faced each other in a big league game but if that does occur this weekend, it won’t be the first time Bryant has tried to hit Shreve.
The Showdown
I reached out to one of the guys’ assistant coaches at Bonanza, Kevin Fiddler, and he shared a great story about Bryant and Shreve that occurred right before the start of the 2015 season.
Fiddler left Bonanza in 2013 to accept the head coaching job at Palo Verde High School in Vegas. He kept in contact with both of his former players and always wanted them to come to Palo to take some BP with his team. Obviously the schedules of professional baseball players are pretty hectic but Fiddler got his wish on February 7, 2015.
He had been bugging Bryant and Shreve to come to Palo to get some work in before they left for Spring Training that year. The two stars showed up unannounced right in the middle of Palo’s intersquad scrimmage but c’mon, Kris Bryant shows up at your scrimmage, you shut that shit down and let him take some hacks in the cage right?
That’s exactly what happened.
Shreve took the mound and threw some live BP to Bryant because he “wanted to get a look at some live pitching before he went to Spring Training.” Keep in mind here, Bryant would make his Cubs debut about two months later.
Bryant taking swings off Shreve…
I asked Fiddler who won the match-up between the two that day in Vegas.
“It was the first time Kris had seen live pitching so Chasen definitely had an advantage, not to mention he’s got an uncanny ability to get righties out. Chasen definitely won the day, but we liked to joke that this showdown spurred Kris on to win the Rookie of the Year.”
Both guys stayed after and talked to the team and signed some autographs for about 30 minutes following their session. How cool would that have been to be a 16-year-old kid who showed up to the field thinking you’d be just be scrimmaging and before you know it, two professional baseball players are giving you advice.
Shreve and Bryant Talking To TeamLeft To Right: Kris Bryant, Kevin Fiddler, Chasen Shreve, Tomo Delp
It’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens if Bryant and Shreve face each other during this weekend’s series to see who can bring the bragging rights back to Vegas.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 1: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears on the sidelines during the second half against the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bears defeated the Browns 21-7. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
It turns out the Chicago Bears may not have been rid of Jay Cutler after all. Mere months after parting ways with their former starter, the 34-year old quarterback made a momentous decision regarding his NFL career. With lacking interest from teams in his services on the field, he has apparently decided to hang up the cleats and pursue a career in broadcasting.
After a brief series of auditions the FOX network didn’t waste much time hiring him. That should not be surprising. Cutler is already a lightning rod name known for his quick wit and enigmatic personality. Getting him in the booth to call games could be must-see TV in and of itself. Peter Schrager of the NFL Network dropped the news.
NEWS. It's official. Jay Cutler has been hired by @nflonfox . Will join Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis in the booth this season.
There is also a practical element to this move. FOX just lost one of their primary commentators in John Lynch, who accepted a position as GM of the San Francisco 49ers. The network likely wanted another player present in the mix somehow. Cutler may have always been shy around the cameras as a player but his quick wit, intelligence and attitude could be a breath of fresh air to an otherwise rather boring formula.
The really interesting question is whether or not this new team he’s joining will end up calling a Bears game in 2017. That could end up being supremely awkward for head coach John Fox and their new stable of quarterbacks in Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky. Then again the team did pay him tens of millions of dollars so it might not be so bad.
Blackhawks jerseys are always a hot commodity around Chicago and prices are plummeting. I’m talking about officially licensed NHL jerseys and not the ones “a guy you know can get for $40 with a fight strap, so you know it’s legit.”
It seems odd for one of the best selling jerseys in the league but there is reason. We’ll get to that, but first the deals.
Deals started a couple months ago at the Blackhawks Store and sports retailers with 40% off. Now, the Blackhawks Store is offering a buy one get one free deal. You can also find online deals for as much as 65% off. With deals that good you’d better hurry if you want a good player, or else you’ll have to choose between Rozsival or Jurco.
The truth is, it’s not just Blackhawks jerseys that are on sale. It’s every team’s Reebok team apparel.
The reason this is all happening is because of the apparel deal the league signed with Adidas in September 2015. NHL players will no longer wear Reebook uniforms and the switch will be made to Adidas starting in the 2017-2018 season.
As a result, retailers need to clean out their Reebok inventory to make way for the new Adidas gear. Fans quick enough to get to the stores can reap the benefits of getting their favorite player’s jersey on the cheap.
I’m happy everyone has a chance to buy a legit jersey for a good price but I’m concerned about the future looks. Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the jersey designs are important to the “fabric of the game” and should not change.
That was almost comforting but the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 was the first showing of what Adidas is capable of. I’d have to say the looks were great until you saw their three stripes riding down the sides of the jersey.
I know makers have had their marks on jerseys for a long time but the Blackhawks jersey is one of the best in sports. It would be a damn shame to have it altered or ruined by huge corporate branding.
Below is a conversation I had on Twitter when Adidas Hockey chimed in.
Yuuuuup. They better not ruin good looks with their three stripes like the WCH sweaters.
