MCJealousy

Now that we can all agree that Jay Cutler did have a legitimate injury, the biggest leftover question seems: why did so many other players decide he was faking it and then tweet that to millions of internet nerds and journalists?

Maybe it’s this: from an outsider’s perspective, Cutler seems like a diva, at least, for three reasons:

1. Yesterday.
2. Dude always has a sad face on – it’s just his default mode, like zero on a calculator.
3. He divaed his way out of Denver – asking for a trade because they wanted to trade him or something (?).

Insiders – like the players who tweeted – may have other (insider) reasons to consider him diva-like. I don’t know.

What I do know: Jay Cutler is by no means the only quarterback to act and/or look like the world voted unanimously for their feelings in the worldwide whose-feelings-are-most-important contest.

Let’s start with the obvious: Brett Favre is the biggest attention whore east of Hollywood. For a guy who Wrangler tries to sell as just a regular guy, Favre sure does seem to have a lot of interest in our interest. But the list goes on.

Philip Rivers comes to mind. He’s often wearing the same “Don’t bother me – I’m brooding” look as Cutler.

Tom Brady is somewhere between a supermodel’s boy-toy and an aspiring (successful?) male model.

Vince Young has become so conceited from being an NFL quarterback that he actually thinks he’s an NFL quarterback.

Even SNL­-hosting, Justin-Timberlake-hanging-out-withing golden boy Peyton Manning had his “idiot kicker” moment.

So, it’s not just Cutler; in fact, I’d argue that this is culturally ingrained and it’s nearly impossible for big-time QBs to not have holier-than-thou attitudes. Quarterbacks are essentially idolized.

On any given week during the football season, there are probably at least a dozen guys on television who claim that the quarterback position is the most important position in football/sports.

And their fame reflects that. People who don’t watch a single game all season can name Favre, Brady, and Manning.

In college and high school, the treatment is the same. I can probably name as many college QBs as I can other college players. And I watch a lot of college sports.

(Off the top of my head – so the spelling may be off: QBs: Cam Newton, Ricky Stanzi, Jake Locker, Denard Robinson, Tyrell Pryor, TJ Yates, Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley (8). Other guys: Nick Fairley, Da’Quan Bowers, AJ Green, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Marvin Austin (does that count?), Shaun Draughn (7). I could probably name more eventually, but those were the first 15 to come to mind.)

So, when Jay Cutler acts/looks like a diva or people react to him like he’s acting/looking like a diva, I’m not really surprised.

Ego’s a hell of a drug.

(Unconfirmed) Fact of the Day:

Evidently, if a third-string QB enters an NFL game in the first three quarters of play, the first- and second-stringers aren’t allowed to reenter, according to Karl Ravech on yesterday’s SportsCenter.