Bears' Cutler should have message for critics

The NFL is back and not a moment too soon if your summer has been incinerated by Chicago baseball — or the heat.

And it means that soon the Bears will piece together another team and make their way to Bourbonnais, where the world will await with bated breath the explanations from the most interesting man in the world.

Jay Cutler.

OK, really he's about the least interesting man in the world and probably by choice, which is fine because all he needs to do for Chicago is win football games.

Yet, he will face the cameras and some eerie music as the world demands answers.

There will be questions about his departure from the NFC title game, when he was accused of quitting on his teammates.

Was he really hurt or did he fake it? Did he pull himself off the field because he couldn't handle the pain or because he couldn't handle the pressure?

He will be asked to explain his disappearance from Chicago shortly thereafter, when some thought he should have remained and suffered through the winter, rather than bask in the California sun.

How could he walk down Rodeo Drive with shopping bags and a girlfriend when his bad knee should have placed him in a wheelchair or even a coffin?

And now that he has broken up with his fiancee on the eve of camp, there will be intensely personal questions about what happened and how he will handle his emotional pain as it relates to football.

I've never been a big Cutler fan, but he's become a sympathetic figure off the field with the unwarranted criticism of last January and the bizarre fascination with his breakup.

But when it's his time to face the media, my guess is he's not going to answer any questions about his personal life.

Nor should he.

As for his grit, it would be fun if he finally fired back at everyone who wondered if he was tough enough after a season in which he played minus an offensive line and left some games looking like he'd lost a pickup game to the buses and cars on Lake Shore Drive.

It still surprises me that Cutler didn't fight back and pound on those who blasted him, but it's not something to expect from Cutler at this point.

If it looks like he really doesn't care what people say or think, it's probably because he really doesn't care what people say or think.

That's just him.

So get set for the big event, the day Jay Cutler arrives in camp and the world thinks he owes apologies and explanations.

On that day, he ought to tell the world to stick it.

Left out

While the players celebrate their deal and talk about how they got what they wanted, as expected the NFLPA abandoned the freshmen in the new CBA and top rookie contracts face a cut of more than 50 percent.

Last we heard, first-round picks get four-year deals and the club holds a fifth-year option. After that, players will be slotted by round, also with four-year deals.

That said, maybe rookies ought to be spared the usual, idiotic hazing since as of now they owe the veterans nothing.

Farewell

Brad Maynard, arguably the top punter in Bears history. We shall not forget the years in which you were the team's best player. On second thought, we will try to forget those years immediately.

Promo tribute

The Kane County Cougars will feature 100 promotions before, during and after their Aug. 11 contest (6:30 p.m.) against the Peoria Chiefs, which they're billing a “Veeck Family Night of 100 Promotions.''

The Cougars are bringing in Mike Veeck, Roland Hemond and Nancy Faust (on the organ) as they offer a ballpark shower, record-tossing contest, postgame fireworks (to disco music) and ivy seed giveaway, among scores of other wacky promotions.

For more info, visit kccougars.com.

Junior champ

Congrats to Buffalo Grove's Landon Kowalski, who last week captured the AJGA Midwest Junior Players Championship, a 54-hole event at the House on the Rock Resort Springs Course in Spring Green, Wis.

Kowalski shot a final round 2-under to finish 7-under for the tourney, a shot better than Wheaton's Tee-k Kelly and Arlington Heights' Doug Ghim.

Just asking

CBS' David Letterman: “Tiger Woods' ex-wife is dating again. Where does a gorgeous woman with $500 million find a man?''

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: “Tiger Woods rocks golf world by choosing someone else to hold his clubs.''

And finally …

Miami Herald's Greg Cote: “In Minneapolis, Michael Beasley was found in possession of 16.2 grams of marijuana. Seldom a good sign when your career scoring average is exceeded by your career grams-per-possession average.''

#376;Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's #8220;Hit and Run#8221; show at WSCR 670-AM. Follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.