Jay Cutler and 10 Other Athletes To Have Their Manhood Challenged
There are some athletes who exemplify toughness. Ronnie Lott getting part of his finger cut off to play football. Michael Jordan playing through the infamous “flu game.” Hell, even Carrie Shrug hit a dismount when she could barely walk.
Then there are the other athletes who don’t appear to be so tough. Whether it was a mysterious injury or just plain laziness, these 10 athletes have been called out to the carpet and had their manhood questioned.
Here’s a look at them.
10. JaMarcus Russell
1 of 10
In Question: Work Ethic
JaMarcus Russell was selected first overall to be the franchise quarterback of the Oakland Raiders. And all he seemed to do during his time there was eat.
Several media members and coaches questioned Russell’s desire. Of course, Russell denied that he wasn’t working hard. Regardless, he was given his walking papers before the start of the 2010 season.
Verdict:
Guilty. It’s hard to say a guy didn’t work hard when you weren’t with him in the film rooms and on the field, but from the size of him, it didn’t appear he was committed to winning.
9. Mark Prior
2 of 10
In Question: Arm Issues
Mark Prior was supposed to be the savior of the Cubs franchise and during the 18-win 2003 season, Prior was just that. But after that season, he got more work with a towel than he did a baseball. It seemed every time Prior took the mound, he was coming off with an injury.
While people felt bad for Kerry Wood, who suffered though numerous injuries himself, they continually questioned if Prior was too weak to play through pain.
Verdict:
With all the setbacks that Prior has had (and the fact that it’s been four years since he’s seen major league action), you would assume he’s been injured. It seems legit.
8. Randy Moss
3 of 10
In Question: Work Ethic
Moss hasn’t been a “give it all you got” kind of player. Truth be told, Moss doesn’t seem to like any route that isn’t for a deep ball, or isn’t for him. In a 2009 game against the Carolina Panthers, several defensive backs claimed Moss was loafing it. The Patriots and even some analysts denied it, but there seemed to be truth behind the claims.
The Verdict:
If it were the first time he had been accused you could brush it off, but Moss has been accused of this plenty of times. Usually multiple accusations have truth to them.
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7. Roger Clemens
4 of 10
In Question: Toughness
Forget the steroids and the impending congressional case, Clemens has had a storied career with seven Cy Youngs and a couple of rings along the way. While we assume the great ones always show up big (and Clemens has on multiple occasions), he has also had a tendency to disappear due to injury.
In 1986, Clemens removed himself from the game because of a blister. In 2005, he left game one of the World Series with a hamstring and in 2007 during the ALDS, again left with a hamstring injury. For as great as Clemens could be in big spots, he also had a tendency to disappear during them.
The Verdict:
Tough to say he was faking, but you would think that if Schilling could pitch the bloody sock game, Clemens could handle a hamstring.
6. Frank Thomas
5 of 10
In Question: Toughness
During the 2001 season, Thomas went out with an arm injury. David Wells, new to the White Sox, blasted Thomas for not playing through the pain. It was later revealed that Thomas had a right triceps tear and needed season ending surgery.
The Verdict:
The surgery speaks for itself, and Wells learned that sometimes it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
5. Scottie Pippen
6 of 10
In Question: Leadership
When the going got tough in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Pippen folded. When Jackson designed the last play of the game to go to Tony Kukoc, Pippen asked out of the play. Kukoc hit the shot and Phil Jackson stormed off the court. For the new leader of the Bulls, it wasn’t his finest moment.
The Verdict:
Pippen was often underrated as a player, but to ask out of the game in a crucial moment warranted all the criticism it got.
4. Manny Ramirez
7 of 10
In Question: Knee Injury
During the 2008 Red Sox season, Ramirez seemed disinterested in playing. Things really came to a head when he scratched himself from a lineup card due to a knee injury that manager Terry Francona didn’t even know he had.
Weeks later, Manny was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Verdict:
Maybe he was hurt, or maybe loafing his way to an escape from Boston. Either way, it was just Manny being Manny.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson
8 of 10
In Question: Knee Injury
During the 2007 AFC Championship Game against the Patriots, Tomlinson was sidelined early in the game and watched from the sideline as the Patriots handled the Chargers. After the game, many questioned whether Tomlinson should have gutted it out.
The Verdict:
Tomlinson had never been questioned for his toughness before, but it makes you wonder why he wouldn’t have given it a go. After all, it’s the game right before the Super Bowl. Who sits out with a knee injury…?
2. Jay Cutler
9 of 10
In Question: Knee Injury
During the biggest game of his pro career, Jay Cutler sat out the second half to allow backups Todd Collins and Calib Henie to try and lead the Bears to the Super Bowl. Receiving incredible criticism from media and former players, Cutler claims to know his body and felt he would have hurt the team being out there.
The Verdict:
Innocent. Culter has endured more abuse as the Bears QB than anyone in recent memory. He’s never complained to the media or the team about the beatings he takes. It’s hard to believe in the biggest game of his life, he’d just sit out.
1. LeBron James
10 of 10
In Question: Elbow Injury, Heart.
You can call it that. He showed signs of an elbow problem during the Bulls series in the 2010 playoffs. But in the next series against Boston, he barely showed signs of life, let alone an injury to his elbow. There were games where he didn’t look interested in playing basketball. After the season, James left Cleveland for the warm weather of South Beach.
The Verdict:
The injury was a sham. If someone can come up with a better explanation for all the events that transpired during the 2010 playoffs, I’m listening.
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