Shhhhhh … Jay Cutler and Lovie Smith want it quiet when the Chicago Bears offense has the ball.
” … we would like for our crowd to be as quiet as possible …” Smith told the Chicago Tribune on Monday in regards to when his team is on offense. The decree came after Cutler called a time out in the first quarter and could be seen waving his arms and mouthing the words “shut up” to the Chicago crowd during Sunday’s season-opening victory over Indianapolis.
This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life.
Yes, the players need to be able to hear the snap call or a possible audible, but my advice to Cutler is, YELL LOUDER!
You don’t admonish your home crowd for their boisterous enthusiasm. You should be thankful for the boisterous enthusiasm. Some teams, like last season’s Colts who won just two games, would kill for such support.
Besides, how do you tell 61,000 people to collectively zip it when the Bears are in the red zone?
It’s easy, you don’t. If it’s an obstacle, you adapt to it. If it’s a problem, you overcome it. Be creative, use body language, tap-dance up to the line to change a play, or complete a pirouette if need be. The waving of the arms on the few steps is enough to do the trick. Don’t tell 61,000 paying customers to put a sock in it. It’s rude.
And really, Smith, as quiet as possible? Wouldn’t it be a little bit eerie to only hear a seagull squack from the shores of Lake Michigan or a pigeon warble from under the el in the South Loop as the offense sets up at the 1-yard line. Silence itself seems like it would be a more devastating distraction.
This is the Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, not the Breezy City or the City of Dainty Shoulders. We are loud, and when we are not loud we are devouring slices of deep-dish pizza. And we are sometimes vulgar.
When we are all together and our team is close to the end zone, we get excited. It’s instinctual. It’s an appropriate reaction We want to help. We want you to know that we have your back. We want to power you through that defense to sweet justified glory! We can’t play football anymore because we’re old, fat, out of shape and we weren’t that good to begin with anyway. We just want to be part of the team, man. Why do you have to go and quash our excitement?
We represent the frenetic energy, that last volt of adrenaline the team may need to cross the goal line. Don’t take that away from us.
This isn’t even about you. It’s about us. If we didn’t come to the games or watch them on television, you wouldn’t be in that red zone in the first place.
Be careful what you wish for, Cutler and Smith. The crickets are listening.
But also keep winning. I promise that if the team makes it to the Super Bowl, I will stuff my mouth with pizza every time the Bears are on offense.
And, I’ll be happy to do it.
Contact: bspencer@oakpark.com
Twitter: @oakparksports
