What Jay Cutler's Knee Injury can teach us about PTSD

"I want you to get that man out of here right away. I won't have these other brave boys seeing such a bastard babied." ~ George S. Patton

The Bears lost to the Packers 21-14 yesterday. Jay Cutler was injured in the Bears loss to the Packers sunday. Just before half he took several hits and Fox Sports zoomed in on his bloodied right elbow. But, during one sequence Troy Aikman noted Cutler was limping off the field. On the next series Cutler threw an incompletion (his final pass of the game) in which he short armed the throw getting no support from his legs.

Cutler then finished the game on the sideline as Caleb Hanie almost became a legend but fell just short of leading the Bears back. After the Bears lost, a segment of Bears fans and NFL players began attacking Cutler for getting injured labeling him a quitter and a "pussy".

Cutler tore his MCL. Tore it.

Cutler has been one of the toughest players I've ever seen. However, many people dislike Cutler because of their perceptions about his attitude and demeanor. No one knew yesterday, except for Cutler and the Bears medical staff, the extent of his injury, yet that doesn't stop people from calling him a "pussy". I am disgusted by so-called Bears fans and any NFL player who is attacking Cutler.

However, what the incessant calls to 670 The Score, the tweets by NFL players and the on line yahoo sports comments illustrate is there is a certain base meanness which permeates much of our society. And it's ugly.

It strikes me this is similar to what people did to soldiers suffering from what had been called, "shell shock", "battle fatigue", the "thousand-yard stare" and is now known as PTSD or Combat Stress Reaction. They very rarely believed the suffering veteran. And it took a soldier the stature of Audie Murphy coming forward with what he suffered after World War 2 to reduce the stigma of combat stress.

Because many Americans and even people who have suffered through similar experiences seem to have this feeling that anyone who professes to be injured is actually malingering.

It's disgusting and it's a part of the American fabric.

Update:
Bears players and GM Jerry Angelo hit back hard at the baseless and ugly classless attacks on Jay Cutler as well as Pro Football Weekly Owener Hub Arkush and 670 The Score announcers Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein. When Angelo was asked about the bullshit comments by NFL punks he stated, "I think it's crap. I thought they were a union. If that’s the way they unionize themselves, they got bigger issues than the one that they have with the owners. I’m very disappointed. That, to me, is dirty pool." Good for you Jerry.

Boers began his show by stating he was "completely ashamed to be affiliated with the ignorant bastards who felt it, compelled to call this radio station". Boers and Bernstein then thankfully spent their entire show blasting their brainless "meatball" listeners, classless NFL punks, and testicle lacking reporters who attacked Cutler.

And then late night Score Bears Reporter Laurence Holmes broke the overall story about Jay Cutler's serious knee injury. Holmes was at the game. Holmes has first hand reporting. He is a primary source. All these NFL players, sports reporters and and analysts who are attacking Cutler are not. So, any reporter or columnist (Jason Whitlock) who questions Cutler's injury should have their reporting skills questioned.

But, to you Jimmy Johnson of Fox Sports; Shove a microphone up your ass and go back to peddling your late night snake-oil dick pills. No wonder you coached the Cowboys, you little-dicked scum bag.