Jay Cutler Finds His Parking Spot Taken, Demands To Be Traded Again
Published by Aaron Liebman on May 18, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The much-publicized trade that brought disgruntled Denver quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago hit a snag this week. Cutler was on his way to a team meeting when he noticed that his parking spot had a big white X painted over it.
Assuming it to be a mistake, or a joke being played on him for being the new guy, he parked in the spot and went about his business.
When Cutler returned to his car, he found a ticket on his windshield. Cutler marched right up to coach Lovie Smith and demanded an explanation. Smith explained to Cutler first that the spot was never officially his, and two, the team was toying around with the idea of auctioning off a close spot to the players for charity and that spot was chosen.
An infuriated Cutler pouted, stomped his foot, and walked out in disgust. “This is unacceptable,” says his agent. “If this team wants him as their quarterback, they shouldn’t be making plans to trade his space away.”
Another source was quoted as saying it is just as insulting as Denver’s mistreatment of him. “It’s like a knife to Jay’s heart,” the source said. “It will be hard for him to get past this.”
To remedy this—i.e., get the parking spot or another one just as close—he attempted to hire super agent Drew Rosenhaus. However, Rosenhaus pointed out that he only represents players convicted of crimes, and if Cutler wanted his services, he would have to commit a felony.
Too scared to even jaywalk, Cutler came to the conclusion that the only solution was another trade. So barely a month after coming to Chicago, Cutler went to Smith and demanded a trade. “If Brett Favre can come back and get a trade in July, why can’t I get another one now?” he said.
But the story may have more to it than meets the eye. Sources in Denver have said that Cutler wanted out of Denver the second Mike Shanahan was fired and before any of the Matt Cassel trade talks began.
“When the Cassel trade rumors started, he thought it was a godsend,” one of them said. “He was just looking for an excuse to get out of there, and when he heard he might be traded, he found it.”
So where will Cutler go now? The other teams that were in the Cutler sweepstakes were the Jets, the Lions, and the Buccaneers.
However, the Bears want to go the Denver route and trade him out of the conference, but the Jets have said that they were already burned with one quarterback trade last summer and don’t want to shoot themselves in the foot again.
So if no team is interested in the trade, what’s next for Cutler? The rational choice would be for him to accept the fact he doesn’t have a killer parking spot, but other sources have said that Cutler “would rather sit out the season than be treated this way.”
