Thread: The Greatest Games in Bears History, Vol. 1: 12/12/65- Sayers Scores Six TD

Originally Posted by soulman

Yeah but to expect two guys with totally different personalities who came from completely different backgrounds to behave or act the same is asking or the impossible. Cutler is far more like Jimmy Mac than he will ever be like Walter Payton so rejoice in that. Mac won us a Super Bowl and Cutler is the first QB we've had since Mac who I believe can do it too.

It's a choice. Walter didn't come from a "privileged" background, or from a powerful football school. But he had an emotional maturity. He "chose" to protect his image. We know (now) that he was far from perfect off the field. But he "chose" to conduct himself in a mature way.

Pure class. And smart too. Today we call it "protecting the brand" for a great athlete. Back then it was just being careful to project a classy image.

McMahon actually was a solid guy with his teammates. He wasn't a "T.O." by any means. He was basically an offensive lineman at heart (they loved him) and he chose to hang out with them off the field. He was always head butting them after TD's and giving them the props - and they responded to that. He took massive hits from defenders (countless times) - hits that are not even legal now - but I never once saw him get into a teammates face.

Cutler could learn a lot from some of these guys from the past. Especially Walter. And it's not too late to improve his image if he cared. I don't think he does care. I'm fine with that. As long as he plays well for us. But someday his career will be over. For his sake it would be good for him to be remembered as a guy with class. It's win/win for him.

p.s. I'll confess that I have always been dazzled by the classier athletes (in all sports, not just football). Most people don't care about this anymore. Just production. I'm just wired differently. I'm a throwback fan, to an era where classy behavior mattered to more people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdzHs_-UL4Q


We've all seen it before but it never gets old. Gale Sayers, magic in motion.

Here's another with some Butkus added in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk35v...eature=related

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

It's a choice. Walter didn't come from a "privileged" background, or from a powerful football school. But he had an emotional maturity. He "chose" to protect his image. We know (now) that he was far from perfect off the field. But he "chose" to conduct himself in a mature way.

Pure class. And smart too. Today we call it "protecting the brand" for a great athlete. Back then it was just being careful to project a classy image.

McMahon actually was a solid guy with his teammates. He wasn't a "T.O." by any means. He was basically an offensive lineman at heart (they loved him) and he chose to hang out with them off the field. He was always head butting them after TD's and giving them the props - and they responded to that. He took massive hits from defenders (countless times) - hits that are not even legal now - but I never once saw him get into a teammates face.

Cutler could learn a lot from some of these guys from the past. Especially Walter. And it's not too late to improve his image if he cared. I don't think he does care. I'm fine with that. As long as he plays well for us. But someday his career will be over. For his sake it would be good for him to be remembered as a guy with class. It's win/win for him.

p.s. I'll confess that I have always been dazzled by the classier athletes (in all sports, not just football). Most people don't care about this anymore. Just production. I'm just wired differently. I'm a throwback fan, to an era where classy behavior mattered to more people.

Improve his play ON the field, get that down perfect, then improve his image.

I'm convinced that Cutler is the right quarterback for this team. He is human, though. He makes enough mistakes with his body language, with the way he approaches communicating with fellow teammates, and his interactions with the media that he really has a lot he needs to work on to put himself in that upper echelon of quarterbacks, vis a vis Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. His leadership can be called into question, but at the same time, he is a leader simply because of the position he plays. As the Jay Cutler goes, so goes the offense, and so goes the Bears. I don't think that Cutler has quite the same rapport with fellow teammates that McMahon had with his teammates, particularly his offensive line. I don't necessarily think Cutler is a cancer in the locker room, but I do believe he needs to work on his bedside manner a bit in order to get the most out of his career and his potential.

WHAT IF the players understand thats how JC reacts, but understand what he means? You work with someone long enough, they mite not present their point right, but you get what they mean. Fair question. Should he MAYBE present the problem better, sure. DO the PLAYERS understand what JC is getting at , sure too. SO, I guess the Bears have it worked out, just not the FANS.

Originally Posted by yttocs

WHAT IF the players understand thats how JC reacts, but understand what he means? You work with someone long enough, they mite not present their point right, but you get what they mean. Fair question. Should he MAYBE present the problem better, sure. DO the PLAYERS understand what JC is getting at , sure too. SO, I guess the Bears have it worked out, just not the FANS.

I'm OK with whatever Jay does as long as "Bad Jay" stays away & Cutler doesn't do something really crazy/stupid. For that matter I'm OK with any of our players not being perfect angels. As long as they produce well in games. Heck, I'd be OK with T.O. here if he could help us win (although I think he's "done" talent-wise now). I do believe that the real leaders of this team are on defense now. Guys like Peppers, Urlacher, Peanut, etc.

That being said, I do appreciate the guys who can deliver on the field - and also show some class. Like Walter Payton.

Jay Cutler is arguably the biggest raw talent for a quarterback in the NFL. I think this says it all. He's got the arm of Bobby Douglass, but also the brains and the ability to control his actions in the pocket without picking up and running off across the field unless there are no other viable options left to draw upon AND he's more accurate by far with his passes. Cutler is a leader on this team, to that there can be no denying. What I have a problem with is that he rarely carries himself like a man with distinguishable deportment. He is surly with the media when he should be selling the Chicago Bears no matter what (I've always maintained that players are as much salesmen of the team as anything else), and he sometimes likes to throw guys under the bus to the media. JABF99 is correct when he says that the leaders of the Bears are the four defensive veterans (Urlacher, Briggs, Tillman, Peppers) who have upheld the high standards of several decades worth of great Chicago defenses. Urlacher is always heaping praise on Cutler no matter what; he was arguably Cutler's stoutest defense against the onslaught from the media after Cutler went down with the sprained MCL in the 2010 NFC Championship Game. A real leader is almost like a cheerleader to the media. That is something that Cutler is not.

JC needs to:
-work on his body language
-work on his progressions and not over-target Marshall
-have the line keep him upright so his mechanics are better
-have a OC that is going to stick around

I think he gets and does that he's golden.