The Demeanor of Jay Cutler & Lovie Smith
Listening to sports radio in Chicago is like going to McDonalds. When it’s good, it’s good but when it’s bad, soggy fries and overcooked hamburgers are in your future. After Bears games, I enjoy listening to two Chicago Bears legends Doug Buffone and Ed O’Bradovich (Doug and OB) discuss the game. Both are usually angry about something and it makes for entertaining radio when their screaming and yelling about something. Even if the Chicago Bears dominate an opponent, they’ll find something to gripe about with the opponent. I usually agree with many things they say, but the issue of Jay Cutler’s body language came up on more than one occasion. The hosts and callers targeted Cutler’s body language. They felt his demeanor on the sideline and general facial expressions reflect a player that doesn’t care about the game.
I may be in the minority on this topic, but I think this is another attempt to attack Cutler. Ever since all the crap went down with the Denver Broncos and Josh McDaniels (who by the way is considered to be one of the biggest tools in history according to everyone that actually got to know him), Cutler has made himself a target. While I am not saying he’s innocent in all of this, I am suggesting that his behavior and actions will always be magnified.
It’s been proven that he injured his knee during last year’s NFC Championship game. And yet, there are still those that keep the story alive about his toughness. This plays right into that card. Let’s question everything about Cutler from his toughness as a football player to his demeanor on the sideline. I think it is quite a stretch to do both. It is almost like the directors on telecasts look for shots of Cutler with blank expressions on his face to add to the drama. Fox issued an apology last week for creating false headlines about Cutler, so there’s some truth in this whole attacking Cutler story. When asked about the negative press always surrounding Cutler, former teammate Desmond Clark had nothing but high praise for Cutler as a teammate and leader. Other players feel the same way about Cutler. Of course, that isn’t mentioned very often.
This is very similar to the criticisms related to head coach Lovie Smith. We all remember the days of Mike Ditka screaming and yelling on the sidelines. While it made for entertainment, it really didn’t help the Chicago Bears win or lose football games. Smith has been criticized by fans for not being more fired up during games. However, behind closed doors Smith is supposedly a much-different guy. He has been known to get fired-up when the cameras aren’t rolling. His players love and respect him for that type of approach. If you want to know how much of an impact Ditka had on his former players, remember Richard Dent didn’t thank his former coach while being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Other players privately also don’t have much regard for Ditka. On the flip-side, as bad as Cedric Benson was as a Chicago Bear, Smith still helped mentor him during his transition away from the team. When the Bengals needed a running back, Smith made a call on Benson’s behalf. Benson was a headache for the Chicago Bears, and yet, Smith still was loyal to his player.
As someone that used to coach football and had a very short playing career in high school, I learned a valuable lesson about coaches. The head coach at my high school acted like a jerk. He was always yelling and screaming at his players. When I would see him in the hallways, he was always in a bad mood. It made me not want to play football. I love the sport and have some regrets about not playing my junior and senior years, but I really didn’t feel like playing for a head coach that was going to make my life hell for two seasons. The most ironic part was my high school won like three games while I was there, so it wasn’t like his style was working. I also had the opportunity to coach football for three seasons. I learned from some wonderful coaches and mentored some great players. The biggest lesson from that experience was that players can handle a coach that is honest and open. However, getting in their face after every mistake and doing it on the football field in front of everyone loses effectiveness quickly. Plus, who wants a boss that treats you like crap?
The more I look at the Chicago Bears roster and see how many deficits this team has, it’s amazing that Smith has been as successful as he has as a head coach. Next Monday night, the Chicago Bears will play one of their most important regular season games in Detroit. If there’s any opportunity for the Chicago Bears to get into the playoffs, this is a must-win game. While I am not sure that the Chicago Bears will win the game, I am sure the Bears will be prepared. That is all you can ask for out of a head coach. Get your players in a position to win a football game.
Follow me on Twitter at ChicagoBearJew.
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