Are you concerned with who Jay Cutler really is?

Our own Rick Telander penned a column today that explored the perceived lack of information we have about who Jay Cutler really is.

In

it, he points to the fact that the gunslinger has been here over six

months and all there is to judge him on are seven football games,

eight-second soundbites and a plethora of blank stares. His point, at

least it seems to me, is that Cutler should be more transparent. That

the most important Chicago sports figure since Jordan should have a

personality that fans can latch on to.

At this point, I’ll ask a few questions of my own.

Why?

Do we really care about the people inside the jerseys anymore?

It

sounds callous, but in an era of free agency when players switch teams

constantly, aren’t fans more concerned with on-field results more than

ever before?

Look around. In baseball, many of those guilty of

using performance-enhancing drugs have been welcomed back into the

fold. Some are celebrating a World Series win (looking at you, A-Rod).

Michael

Vick’s return to the NFL shows that second chances are — and always

will be — afforded to those with the talent to make an impact on the

field.

It’s my contention that if society is willing to look

the other way on matters of ethics and morals, then why would they take

such umbrage with an athlete being reserved — or even boring?

Personally,

if a quarterback can go out and throw for 300 yards every Sunday, I

could care less what he does and says the rest of the week. As long as

he’s not breaking the law or embarrassing the team, he can weird it up

anyway he wants if the results stay the same

Answer questions in Pig Latin?

Fine, just lead a fourth-quarter comeback.

Quote Monty Python to the point of annoyance in the post-game interview?

It’s cool, just make the Pro Bowl.

Just sit there like a bump on a log?

No problem with that, as long as you fly all over the field on gameday.

Perhaps, I’m wrong. Maybe the lion’s share of people out there want a gregarious, transparent superstar. They want the face of the franchise to have some character.

The question for me, though, isn’t who Jay Cutler is. It’s if we care.