23

Jay Cutler

Age: 30

Occupation: Quarterback, Chicago Bears

OK, OK, but listen: With Bulls star Derrick Rose sidelined for a second year, this surly, smirking, “You really think I give a damn?” quarterback is suddenly Chicago’s biggest sports celebrity. He’s the most important player on the city’s most watched team, playing the most popular sport in the country. And on January 2, he signed a $126.7 million, seven-year contract, with $54 million guaranteed. Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that Cutler has gone from lightning rod to lightning tower, becoming the most obsessed-over athlete in Chicago. The fact that he doesn’t care just makes people wag their tongues even more.