Quitter or Not, Get Rid of Cutler

Sports is a place where heroes are born and legends are made and where men lay it all on the line just to win a game. Football in particular is a sport that requires maximum toughness both mental and physical. Sunday afternoon the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 to earn a trip to Dallas where they will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers for Super Bowl XLV. The Bears were so close yet, to me, seemed like they were so far away from winning the NFC Championship. Maybe I felt like that because the Packers are a great team with the top quarterback in the league right now. Maybe I felt like that because the Bears were always playing from behind. Or maybe I felt like that because quarterback Jay Cutler was sitting on the sidelines for the second half while Todd Collins looked like the Bad News Bears behind center and Caleb Hanie nearly became the hero that Cutler never will become. Yeah, the third reason is definitely why.

In one of the final series of the first half Cutler injured his knee and there talks within the Bears organization that he would not even take the field for the second half. However, he tried it and after one unsuccessful series retreated to the bench, which is where he would stay for the rest of the game. Todd Collins entered and left in the blink of an eye and then it was third-stringer, Caleb Hanie's turn. You know Hanie woke up that morning just excited to have a great seat for the game and wasn't expecting to even step on the field. Yet, there he was leading the comeback for the Bears and, had it not been for Sam Shields second interception of the day, perhaps could have tied the game up with under a minute to play. We can't fault Hanie's effort because he is a third string quarterback who was thrown into the biggest game of the Bears-Packers rivalry and told to lead the comeback, a Super Bowl birth on the line.

When it comes to Cutler though, questions are raised about his effort. He hurt his knee, and his teammates and coaches have defended him 100% so far, but how bad was it? Was it bad enough that he had to sit out of the biggest game of his career? Because it wasn't bad enough that he couldn't stand on it or even ride the bike. He wasn't receiving any treatment and there was no brace or anything on it. He was just standing there with that look he always wears, one of disinterest and unhappiness. I'm not going to sit here and say that Jay Cutler quit because I don't really know how bad that sprained MCL was. The training staff wouldn't let him go but in my mind it didn't seem to affect him much.

Ronnie Lott had his finger cut off so that he could keep playing and Willis Reed took the floor with a broken leg. Phillip Rivers has played with a torn ACL and many players have knee injuries but they still play. I just think that if Cutler really wanted to play he would have done everything he could to get on that field. Good players compete in Playing Time but the great ones show up in Winning Time. The second half of that game was Winning Time and Caleb Hanie was under center. Keep in mind this wasn't just any game, this was the NFC Championship against the Bears biggest rival and this was only the second time the two teams had met in the playoffs. Cutler was coming off his first playoff game since high school, a win against the Seahawks and a win in this game would have elevated his status as a great quarterback in Chicago and in the league.

Sad thing is, he never gave himself a chance and that's why people will question him for the rest of his life. What if the Bears never get back to that point with him? In my opinion he won't be in Chicago too much longer and that means fans lasting memory will not be Cutler throwing the ball on the field; it will be Jay Cutler standing on the sideline, jacket and stocking cap on, watching as his team lose a chance to go to Dallas. Some franchise quarterback...

Packers vs. Bears and Other Great Games

On Saturday night the Green Bay Packers easily disposed of the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons from the NFL Playoffs and on Sunday the Chicago Bears man-handled the sub-.500 Seattle Seahawks for three quarters and came away with an 11 point win. This coming Sunday is now an NFL fan's dream as the Packers will travel to Soldier Field for an NFC Championship matchup against their division rival. As a Bears fan I am very excited for the game as it is the only the second time that the two teams have met in playoff history. The Pack is hot right now with Aaron Rodgers looking like the best QB in the game but the Bears D has also looked good lately minus the 4th quarter against Seattle. As soon as the Bears won the Divisional Round game I got on StubHub.com and checked the tickets and the fact of the matter is, fans will be paying at least 500 bucks for a seat. I would love to be at the game even though the temperature will be below 10 degrees. This game got me thinking about what games I would have loved to be at in person so I compiled a list of five games in my lifetime that I wish I could have been at.

2004 ALCS Game 6 (Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees)- To see this game would be seeing history. The Red Sox tying up the series after being down 3-0. Led by Curt Schilling and David Ortiz's heroics, the BoSox went to the World Series to break the Curse of the Bambino. Schilling pitched seven innings with a torn tendon in his right ankle that was held in place by three sutres that connected the skin to the tendon and connective tissue. NYPD members had to take the field in riot gear after Yanks fans threw balls and debris on the field because they were unhappy with Alex Rodriguez being called out for interference. A-Rod slapped Bronson Arroyo's arm as he tried to tag him out and the umpires called him out. This game had it all and would have been an amazing game to be at.

1997 NBA Finals Game 5 (Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz)- "The Flu Game" is one of the most legendary stories of Michael Jordan's career. He woke up with a stomach virus on Tuesday and team trainers said there was no way he could play in Game 5 on Wednesday night. With the series tied at two games apiece and the Bulls playing on the road, Jordan took the floor and got off to a slow start but dropped 17 in the second quarter. MJ did little in the third as fatigue set in but in the fourth he had 15 points including a big three at the end. He played 44 minutes and collapsed into Scottie Pippen's arms at the end of the game, which the Bulls won 90-88.

2009 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 6 (Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls)- Without a doubt the most epic game for the Bulls in the post-Jordan era, Chicago defeated the Boston Celtics 128-127 in three overtimes to force a Game 7. John Salmons led the Bulls with 35 points and Ray Allen's 51 was not enough for the C's. The Bulls took the lead when Joakim Noah stole the ball from Paul Pierce, dribbled length of the floor, dunked the ball while being fouled by Pierce and then made the free throw for a three point play. Derrick Rose, who finished with 28 points, blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game winner with 8 seconds left in the third OT.

2009 Big East Tournament (Syracuse Orange vs. UConn Huskies)- After 3 hours and 46 minutes of back and forth basketball the Orange defeated UConn at Madison Square Garden 127-117. The Orange's Eric Devendorf made a three at the buzzer of the regulation to win the game but the refs ruled that Devendorf didn't get it off in time. Jonny Flynn had a monster game for Cuse with 34 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 6 steals, and 1 block. To be at this game where numerous future NBA players were playing in a primetime game in the Big East tournament would be incredible to see.

2010 NCAA Championship (Butler Bulldogs vs. Duke)- Funny thing about this game is that my grandpa had tickets but sold them. It would have been the ultimate Cinderella story had Gordan Hayward's last second heave gone in. Instead the ball bounced off and Duke came away with a two point win in the one of the most thrilling national championship games ever. 70,000 fans were in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis where the hometown Bulldogs nearly upset the number 1 seed Blue Devils.

Sports produce some of the best drama in the world and there certainly will be some when the Packers and Bears clash with a chance for the Super Bowl. These are just five games that I wish I could have seen but there are countless others. So now its your turn, let me know what games you wish you were at in your lifetime.