Sometimes dudes just have a bad week. Cedric Benson just had a bad week. As a matter of fact, Cedric Benson hasn't had a good week since we traded Thomas Jones to the New York Jets for two seats on the State Island Ferry.
There are two parts to the story. First Matt Forte became the darling of the Chicago Bears rookie camp by showcasing his tremendous speed and ball-catching ability, metaphorically pepper spraying Benson's role in the starting lineup. Benson sensed his job was in jeopardy and did what any committed athlete would do: rented a boat and got liquored up. Then Benson got actually pepper sprayed by Texas police. Steve Rosenbloom said it best, calling it "a move that seems a little over the top. Police apparently didn't know that the quickest way to get Benson to the ground is simply first contact."
So the Cedric Benson who cried after being drafted fourth...the Cedric Benson who has the heart of the cowardly lion at the beginning of the movie...the Cedric Benson who runs into the line of scrimmage like he's protecting himself from a swarm of bees...is finally through in Chicago. Whether they release him or not, it doesn't matter. Chicago Bears fans can excuse a lot of things in the name of desire to win football games. Just ask Tank Johnson. But Cedric doesn't even have that. He's done. Adios. Bye bye.
For it turns out that Benson wasn't only two numbers below Walter Payton's 34. He was also missing two other important commodities: his nuts.
#2 Shady McBears Fan said . . .AMEN!!!
May 4, 2008
#3 mikebdot said . . .Na Na Na Na...
Na Na Na Na...
Hey Hey Hey...
GOODBYEE!
May 4, 2008
#4 mikebdot said . . .Wow. The best of all possible world's. If we release him will we get less of a cap hit now?
May 4, 2008
#5 Rancid said . . .Oh, sorry grammar nazis, worlds, no apostrophe...
May 4, 2008
#6 KentuckyBearsFan said . . .I would be more than happy to enter this coming season with Forte starting, AP as backup, and Wolfe as the change of pace guy. Let's kick Benson to the curve.
May 4, 2008
#7 KentuckyBearsFan said . . .Any chance Bears management killed morale last season
1. On Offense: trading the heart and soul of the team, Thomas Jones
2. On Defense: cutting Tank before the drug results were even in
CB is more intestines than heart.
CB sucks, though if he's cheap this year, maybe he stays since no illicit drugs or guns were involved.
May 4, 2008
#8 Polygonhell said . . .Maybe it's time CB started over with a new team.
And I can think of the perfect team for him:
Milwaukee Brewers.(CB was drafted by the dodgers in 2001, 12th round)
May 4, 2008
#9 Al in WI said . . .The word idiot springs to mind.
Oh well I guess it prevents all the speculation on who'll start.
The only way that the cap hit will be reduced is if there was a clause in his contract such that he'd have to pay back part of his signing bonus/guaranteed money.
May 4, 2008
#10 jeff said . . .Agreed. I'm done with Benson. While his performance last season was significantly hindered by the pourus line, horrific game planning, and the fact that we were always losing in 4th quarter it was clear to anyone watching that he doesn't have the skill of a 4th overall pick. He can be a decent runner I think when in shape and on a solid team, but that's hardly impressive considering we already had guys like that when we drafted him. Namely A-Train and Thomas Jones, and who wouldn't rather have those guys now instead?
Dump him, and dump him now his teammates hate him, he's been a bust, and this is at least his 3rd or 4th incident off the field.
In the meantime the Bears must look long and hard across the league for a servicable backup to Forte. The new NFL is about a 1-2 punch and AP isn't it.May 4, 2008
#11 jdawg said . . .shaun alexander sign yet?
May 4, 2008
#12 wdwhite said . . .I was on the fence with him until last week. I'm a member of the Bears Scout site and I asked John Crist some pretty specific things about Benson, like if he was any of the following:
apathetic towards football
lazy
a lousy teammate
prone to sticking his foot in his mouth
disliked by his teammates and coaches
in it only for the paycheck
out of shape
slow
injury-prone
easy to tacklethis was his response:
Just like Mindy McReady said about the relationship between her and Roger Clemens that was first reported by the New York Daily News, "I cannot refute anything in the story."
to me that was the deal-breaker. Time for the Bears to cut their losses. If they do, they won't sign anybody -- we'll go into camp with Forte, Peterson and Wolfe.
May 4, 2008
#13 Megan said . . .good riddance. my least favorite Bear since McNown.
May 4, 2008
#14 Idonije said . . .Buh, Bye now.. buh bye...
Once again I say.. don't let the door hit cha where the good Lord split cha!
I will not miss that whiney-ass one i-ota ( I am not sure how to spell that)
I like the mix-up idea, Forte, AP and Wolf..
I can smell it now...victory...May 4, 2008
#15 Taylor said . . .This is the perfect excuse to put Benson out on the street, however I really hope it does not lead to the signing of Shaun Alexander.
May 4, 2008
#16 Viva said . . .I dislike CB as much as the next Bears fan, but I think cutting him is a little presumptive. We don't know anything about Forte as a Pro. Letting Forte compete with Benson would be good for him. We have seen first hand that handing the keys over to a running back that hasn't proven anything is a bad idea.
May 4, 2008
#17 Shady said . . .I don't think the Bears will act on him until the league decides his punishment. It's Jerry's job now to try and find some value for him. Very interesting to see if Ced will be sued a portion of his signing bonus if he is suspended.
All in all, the team is better off without him.
This we can all take to the bank, Forte's agent is the happiest mf in the business right now! His client now has even more leverage...
May 4, 2008
#18 Ted in IA said . . .Cedric Benson mugshot:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/teams/photo?photoId=1930259&team=chi
May 5, 2008
#19 Shady said . . .Oh, yeah, Benson is a canker on the butt of the Chicago Bears..
But... (or butt.. ) all those whose adulation of Thomas Jones know no bounds.. exactly how well did the Jets do last year now that they got Mr Jones ? Straight to the Super Bowl, as I recall.
Mr bounce-around-the-line-then-fall-down-go-boom.
May 5, 2008
#20 KentuckyBearsFan said . . .Benson's side of the story:
http://www.nbc5.com/news/16155362/detail.html?dl=mainclick
May 5, 2008
#21 shonbear said . . .That mugshot is brutal.
"The goggles do nothing."Forte's agent better understand that his client showing up to camp on time, and then running for 1000-1200 yards gets more endorsements and LONG TERM money than holding out and sucking the first year. Holding out would be strange for a 2nd rounder anyway.
May 5, 2008
#22 Rancid said . . .OMG!!! Give me a break on his side of the story. He's going to be in the news a lot with this story. It sounds like it's going to be a race thing. That many people on the boat have any camera phones or video equipment to capture the "brutality"? How about that mug shot, " I wasn't drunk", if not drunk definitely high on something. This guy needs to take another trip. A trip away from Chicago. What's he doing in Texas anyway, shouldn't he be at Halas Hall preparing for the upcoming season and trying to get the starting job, the season is only 3 months away.
May 5, 2008
#23 Max said . . .The bottom line here is simple. If your hometown fans are hoping that you actually were drunk and that you actually did resist arrest, and then when you deny it those same fans immediately doubt your story and take the cops side . . . there's a good chance your career isn't exactly going well.
May 5, 2008
#24 Max said . . .I think this story is awesome. . . It doesnt tarnish a player loved in the locker room. It isnt a story about a shooting or a drug bust. . . This is a moron getting drunk and then thinking hes a tough SOB and fighting (and losing) with the cops.
That said, I dont care one way or the other if he is cut. If hes cut, fine. Let him go, it was a failed experiement. Lets move on.
If we keep him, I think he will be better because we will be back to a tandem. Benson was always a better runner when we could use the thunder and flash with TJ. Now its Forte.
All in all, this just made my week . . . what a dumbass.
May 5, 2008
#25 BearTransplant said . . .Oh and one other note. . . I dont really believe Ced, but the picture isnt a good way to judge his sobriety. . . If yall got pepper sprayed, youd look pretty fucked up as well.
May 5, 2008
#26 Rancid said . . .It doesn't sound that unbeleivable of a story from CB's end. Texas boat police and a boat full of black folks? Yikes. There is no mention of a breathalyzer in any of the news releases; they usually publicize the BAC number to demonstrate the level of drunkeness. If they didn't do one, it's curious to me. When police don't follow protocol, it's often not because someone is obviously guilty, or that they made a "mistake," it's that it would be harder to proove their case if they went by the book.
He could've been drunk, but everyone is just looking for an excuse to ship him out of town. Is he lazy and obnoxious? Probably. A crappy NFL running back by nature? I don't doubt it. Someone stupid and anti-social enough to pointlessly resist a DUI arrest? And get pepper sprayed in front of his MOMMA? Not from anything I've seen. Seriously, in front of his mom. That ain't right.
I bet you money he walks on the DUI (zero actual evidence) charges, but the others are all based on police testimony in court, so we'll see what happens with that. He's got too much bonus money coming to get cut, so get used to him being around.
May 5, 2008
#27 RandomName said . . .All right, I admit it. Benson was framed. Me and some other fans got together and paid off the police to create a scandal to get Benson kicked off the team.
You should see what we have planned for RT.
May 5, 2008
#28 RandomName said . . .What really happened? If he were drunk was he operating the boat? If he wasn't why was there an incident.
My thoughts on this case are the same as the uneventful case of Michael Vick, guilty until proven innocent.
There are are bad cops out there AND good ones, I've run across both varieties in my life.
May 5, 2008
#29 Phil from SATX said . . .Oops I meant to say innocent till proven guilty. lol
I'm getting all riled up thinking about the incident I had with badgeless renegade cops. I know they're just people but I guess one incident with a group of people kinda taints your mind against them. kinda explain all the -isms in the world.May 5, 2008
#30 Rancid said . . .I did not know this happened until getting on this morning. A few thoughts -
1) I guess they hate him in Austin too.
2) Austin lake cops are not real cops and they can be super assholes.
3) Don't know what Al is referring to unless he's talking about college - to my memory there have been no significant off-field incidents with Ced since he's been a Bear. He seems too crafty and in love with his money to create an incident that would cost him.
4) Very interesting about the jdawg comment - don't know who John Crist is. But that makes perfect sense to me.
5) We do NOT want to go into next year with AP as the second half of a 1-2 punch. What we DO want to do is exploit Ced's last year, where his interests and the team's interests are completely aligned. Sort of like what we were going to do with Lance in his tag year.Therefore, Ced gets to stay. I actually believe his account more than the fake cops, despite the fact that I have officially been "not a fan" of my Texas Traitor since midway through the 2007 season.
May 5, 2008
#31 Phil from SATX said . . .Phil - I didn't even think of the Texas connection with you. So are these basically like rent-a-cops? Did they pepper spray him only because they don't carry guns or anything? Maybe real cops would have shot him.
I don't think the Bears want a split backfield. They used the term "3 down back" enough times in reference to Forte to assure that. I don't foresee a split Forte/AP backfield. If Benson goes then they hand the whole thing to Forte as long as he continues to impress.
I'm a bit scared to hand the whole running game to Forte since a little over a week ago all I knew about him was that he went to Tulane and had a moster senior year, but when I sit here and consider the thought of Ced being gone I can't help but but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I understand the comparison to the Briggs situation, but with one major difference. Lance Briggs was a money hungry me first selfish guy who is a one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Benson is a money hungry me first selfish guy who could possibly be useful in a 2 back system. big difference.
I want to go on record as saying I have no idea if he's really guilty. I would lean that he's not. The amazing thing is that I (as well a decent amount of other Bears fans I bet) am actually kind of hoping he did. That says a lot about the kind of football player he is. I stood up for Tank, and really wanted to believe his crap for quite a while, because I liked his play and attitude on the field. He had a nasty mean streak, he wanted to smear the QB and played like it every down. Eventually I was ok with him being let go becuase it had to happen, but I felt bad about it. This Benson thing isn't like that, Benson is disposable.
May 5, 2008
#32 jdawg said . . .And to Rosenbloom's comment about first contact, I would have said instead -
All the fake cops had to do is let him run away and after 10 yards he'd be down, buried in the turf, unassisted takedown. And slow to get up, possibly injured by the ground. But he'd be happy about his long run, helped his stats!
May 5, 2008
#33 Phil from SATX said . . .hmmm...
I'm throwing up a little in my mouth as I type this, but I'm leaning towards believing Benson. I'll be interested as to how this plays out the next few days.
Am I correct in my understanding that the tests he "failed" were administered on the cop's boat after Benson had been removed from his boat?
Shit, his mom was with him.
Doesn't make him a better running back but its sounds like his crime was BWB -- boating while black.
May 5, 2008
#34 JWilson said . . .Rancid, not rent-a-cops but they might as well be. Multijurisdictional, mostly county deputy types - think Barney Fife on steroids and with pepper spray instead of one bullet.
The stupidest thing about this is Ced apparently knows (or claims he knows) that he is a marked man on Lake Travis (where I assume he was). If so, why the hell go there?
May 5, 2008
#35 Phil from SATX said . . .Rancid hit the nail right on the head.
Now here are my thoughts. If he has problems with the lake police, real police, fake police, park ranger, PETA, EPA, whoever. Why does he keep going to the lake? Simple as going to another lake. Now, if the cops were just being pricks and messing with him that's another story.
Cedric has to realize that his days in Chicago are most likely numbered. If he wants to have a chance on staying in Chicago or anywhere else he better hope this crap don't kill his career. And if the Bears don't cut him, he should count his blessings, and start running the damn ball! If he is cut. I'll back my teams decision. And they better sign someone else. I'm hoping for the best. But, If Forte for some reason does not preform well, or gets hurt then we are back in the spot we were last year with no running game.
So what should happen to Cedric Benson?
1.) See Ya wouldn't want to be Ya.
2.) You're a Bear...for now.
May 5, 2008
#36 Pissed Off said . . .Or BWBC - Boating while being Ced.
Dude needs to read him some Dale Carnegie.
May 5, 2008
#37 JB said . . .Now we wait for the next piece of the puzzle. Do they cut him now or later, do they let this slide until he sucks it up in training camp? Who knows. Either way this worthless pile is gone. I dont even care that much about this off field issue as long as it doesnt keep him off the field. I've said that before about other guys too. I like to drink on occassion, I also like to do it when I'm on the river boating, tubing, whatever. I want to know more about this story, what did he do to get busted? He must have been driving crazy or something. Either way, I've disliked Benson for a long time and and if the BT uses this as a reason to cut him, fine.
May 5, 2008
#38 jeff said . . .ahahahahahaha ..... hahahahaha .... ehhhhhh .... thanks ced... i needed that.
May 5, 2008
#39 RandomName said . . .once again, i'm not implying cedric did much wrong. i get drunk on a boat twice every summer. i'm just completely over him.
May 5, 2008
#40 Taylor said . . .JWilson: "..Simple as going to another lake."
IF he was legally doing whatever, he's in America to begin with. IF it was public lake he could visit it as many times he wants. And If he was a marked man on that lake what's to stop him from being a marked man on the next lake?
However on the police side of the story IF he was doing illegal things they had the right to arrest him with the legal amount of necessary force.
I just hope everything works out and i REALLY hope it was some legitimacy from both sides.
May 5, 2008
#41 Pissed Off said . . .IF Benson is cut, I don't think it will be anytime soon.
IF Benson is cut, the Bears need to pursue a veteran type of running back to groom Forte and even give him a little competition. I can't believe that so many people on here are just willing to name Forte our #1 when he hasn't even played a down in the NFL.May 5, 2008
#42 Smitty said . . .I love getting drunk on the river. Around here thats all we have in the summer, pretty much every Saturday you can find me drunk on the river in my boat.
Taylor, I'm with you. I dont know what to do here but I'm not ready to annoint Forte as our #1 and a 3 down back all year. However, it'll all be OK. And by that I mean it cant be worse than last year. No way. We have AP, a solid Vet who carried the load himself for a portion of the season, that coupled with a 2nd year back in Wolf and this supposed stud in Forte. We'll be OK if we cut Benson. Im not worried about it, are you worried about it, you shouldnt worry about it, dont worry about it, I'm not worried about it, I wouldnt worry about it, dont worry about it.
May 5, 2008
#43 Phil from SATX said . . .This is really bad for the Bears and Benson. Yes, he sucks and all but if they cut him the RB is that much worse. Not good.
May 5, 2008
#44 Phil from SATX said . . .I do not believe that there's any way the Bears could cut Ced on this. Driving a boat while intoxicated? They know how passive the guy is and therefore likely believe his account, even if they're glad he took a spray to the face at the same time.
They probably still feel a little defensive about cutting Tank. Even if everyone hates Ced, cutting a player using this as an excuse has a message that goes to the other players about whether the club will have their back if they make a mistake.
Hopefully Ced will take the right measures with repairing things with the team. I do believe we would be better off starting the season with Forte/Benson than with Forte/AP. If they wanted to sign Rhodes I'd have no problem with it. Alexander I'm not so sure of. But I do think it will be Ced in uniform at the beginning of the season.
May 5, 2008
#45 JWilson said . . .Brad Biggs just talked to Benson.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2008/05/benson_proclaims_innocence_vow.html#more
BTW, these were Lower Colorado River Authority cops, even lower on the scale than county deputies. LCRA is the local water system entity for Austin. Read the story from the Austin American-Spaceman, the dude was really scared of Ced's big muscles and pepper-sprayed him preemptively, just in case. (at least that's what it sounds like to me).
http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/05/05/0505benson.html
Good job to Biggs! As an aside, he's my MVP BY FAR of the offseason for the Chicago press.
May 5, 2008
#46 Decatur Staleys #7 said . . .Random Name you are right! Cedric does live in America and has all the right to visit where ever he wants as often as he wants. Never said he didn't. But, the way I see it is if you feel like you keep getting...whatever at a certain place; common sense should tell ya not to keep pressing your luck. America is the best Country in the World!! Sometimes people in authority use their authority in the wrong way. With all the good of the Country, there are some cons.
Let me say this. I'm not taking any "sides" here. I wasn't there, I didn't witness what happened. I'm not saying he's guilty, or innocent. If Cedric was drunk while boating then he messed up. If it's against the law to be intoxicated while manning a boat,and he was in fact drunk, then he broke the law. If he resisted arrest, he messed up again. And now he will have to face some consciences. Weather that is with the law, the Bears or both.
If the "cops" or whoever arrested him are jackasses and just looking to ruin the guy. Then they ought to be punished as well. We'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.
If it all works out that he is still on the team, than I hope that he stays out of environments that could cause him to get in trouble. And he plays some damn football this season! I'm not looking for the guy to fail. I just want him to prove to the team, and the fans that he's worth the money he's being paid. And I think that's the issue here. He hasn't preformed up to his expectations. And now he could be in trouble and the team could have to cut their losses.
May 5, 2008
#47 animal said . . .Even AP in Minn had Chester Taylor to bouy his Rookie of the year season.
So I'm hoping if the Bears are considering cutting Benson(I doubt it) They really have a back up plan,beside relying on the rook,AP,Wolfe.
otherwise our new mantra is"We get off the bus stumbling"May 5, 2008
#48 mikebdot said . . .wow- I just got to work (alaska time) and read this. crazy. it sure ignited a shitstorm on this board, which has been entertaining to read.
Best line of the day so far, from Rancid #30
"Maybe real cops would have shot him"please, try not to make me laugh out loud when Im in my office alone. Its embarrassing.
May 5, 2008
#49 JB said . . .Yeah, JWilson, and all women should just stay indoors at night because they might be raped. I mean, why give men the motivation?
Hate on Benson all you want, but having fun on a boat should not warrant pepper-spray, unless he called them "white bread chickenshit crackas!" And even then, it's still bullshit. I can't stand cops of any variety.
May 5, 2008
#50 Tenacious D said . . .i don't really care what the real story is...this is funny. and if it gives the BT any sort of additional ammo to have this cancer cut out of our team, i'm all for it. forte & AP/wolffe is fine by me.
May 5, 2008
#51 animal said . . .Really, JB? Your fine with an unproven rookie #1 back, overacheiveing #2 back who's better on special teams, and unproven first year #3 back? Yeeesh, not me pal.
May 5, 2008
#52 Phil from SATX said . . .Here were our scenarios.
a. he gets a fire lit under his ass by Forte, runs hard, and Forte plays #2 back getting some touches
b. Forte wins the job, Ced spells him as the #2 power punch a la 2006.Now, without Ced we have an unknown in Forte, unknown in Wolfe, and proven mediocre guy in AP.
We need to keep Ced until we see what Forte will really be about in the pros. There is no way of knowing until the season.
May 5, 2008
#53 Pissed Off said . . .Usually I agree with you JB, this time I agree with tenacious and animal. The somewhat disinterested CB got the same amount as the must-have-been-extremely-motivated AP, and I think Mikeb has pointed out that AP got a lot of yards out of the patented Dennis Gentry-draw obvious-passing-down 3rd down carries as well, which typically did not result in 1sts but were meant for field position.
Maybe Ced got a bad break and beak full of pepper spray and embarrassment on that boat. Maybe the Bears have an opportunity to show some compassion here (to him and with the rest of the team watching), and maybe this brings Ced to camp willing to work hard for the Bears. We already know he's probably going to work hard for Ced, this being contract year and all.
Ced working hard, motivated by another equal or better talent in the trenches next to him, can project as a far cry better than the best the hard-working but talent-limited AP can give us.
Since we don't know what we have in Forte, cutting Ced and bringing back AP and Wolfe would be just like what we did last year with Ced, AP and Wolfe. We know we didn't like how that turned out.
May 5, 2008
#54 jeff said . . .Hey Tenacious, read #41. AP is at least as good as Ced evidenced AT LEAST by what we saw last year. (Same YPC, and no decline in the run game with Ced out, and probably more durable) So at worst, if we cut Benson, we aint getting any worse, and with the O-line improvements, probably better even without him. So am I OK with cutting Ced..um Yeah. Do I want that to happen, not necessarily if Ceds telling the truth
May 5, 2008
#55 JB said . . .phil, you're right. biggs has worked his ass off this offseason and the suntimes actually outperformed the trib.
May 5, 2008
#56 Blog Down, Chicago Bears said . . .look, it's no secret i've never liked ced, so i'm completely biased on that...but why are you guys constantly hating on AP? I actually like the idea of Forte, AP, and Wolfe in our backfield. I think we'd have guys that are dynamic and want to be there. I can't see much value in cedric, with or without this incident. I'm not sure what jdawg's credentials are, but reread #11. If that is what people around halas hall feel about him, there is NO REASON to keep him on the roster. It's like in poker, I'll go all in blind if I know the other guy is holding a shitty hand, because the odds are my hand is better. I may be wrong, the flop might hit me wrong, but i'm going to win most of the time. There are a hundred different silver lining theorists...oh, maybe this motivates ced and he comes in a new back...whatever, i don't buy it. I'm so on the Forte bandwagon, it's not even funny. Regardless of this incident, seriously, what do you expect of cedric benson? Do you honestly think he will positively contribute to this team....take the positives and subtract the negatives...is he worth keeping on this roster? Emphatically, no, get rid of him. This is the team of Walter Payton and Gale Sayers and Matt Suhey and Brad Muster and Neal Anderson...guys that we've cheered for running the ball. I boo benson...that's not right.
I ask all of you...what has ced proven to you all that makes you want to keep him? To me he's shown his colors to be green for greed and pink for pu...well, you get my point...but the point is, they're not navy and burnt o.
May 5, 2008
#57 Blog Down, Chicago Bears said . . .Benson's side of the story seems way too detailed to be completely fabricated. Hmmmm. I wonder what really happened. I'm sure it will come out sooner than later, however.
Got this from a Bears message board:
"I heard, upon being arrested, Benson ran into the backs of two other guys on the boat and fell down for a one-yard loss."
May 5, 2008
#58 Blog Down, Chicago Bears said . . .Benson's side of the story seems way too detailed to be completely fabricated. Hmmmm. I wonder what really happened. I'm sure it will come out sooner than later, however.
Got this from a Bears message board:
"I heard, upon being arrested, Benson ran into the backs of two other guys on the boat and fell down for a one-yard loss."
May 5, 2008
#59 Blog Down, Chicago Bears said . . .Benson's side of the story seems way too detailed to be completely fabricated. Hmmmm. I wonder what really happened. I'm sure it will come out sooner than later, however.
Got this from a Bears message board:
"I heard, upon being arrested, Benson ran into the backs of two other guys on the boat and fell down for a one-yard loss."
May 5, 2008
#60 Blog Down, Chicago Bears said . . .Benson's side of the story seems way too detailed to be completely fabricated. Hmmmm. I wonder what really happened. I'm sure it will come out sooner than later, however.
Got this from a Bears message board:
"I heard, upon being arrested, Benson ran into the backs of two other guys on the boat and fell down for a one-yard loss."
May 5, 2008
#61 Phil from SATX said . . .Benson's side of the story seems way too detailed to be completely fabricated. Hmmmm. I wonder what really happened. I'm sure it will come out sooner than later, however.
Got this from a Bears message board:
"I heard, upon being arrested, Benson ran into the backs of two other guys on the boat and fell down for a one-yard loss."
May 5, 2008
#62 mikebdot said . . .JB, I think that's a very fair post, but here's the thing. Among the backs we have on our roster right now, Ced gives us the best chance to win (in being coupled with Forte of course - and I'm with you, I'm all about the Forte right now and in the forseeable future). AP is okay and character-wise, the epitome of what we want in a Chicago Bear. But he had the chance to show where his heart could take him last year and it didn't take him far at all.
I really don't give a crap about Ced anymore, he has burned his bridges with me, but he will be on our roster in 2008 and we need to get the most out of him. To me, that's as the rotating back BEHIND our new hero MF, sharing carries just like he did with TJ in 2006. If we do as good as I think we will next year, we're going to need him in the postseason too. If we go all the way, we'll probably love him again - it could happen. Or we'll thank him for his effort and cut ties with him despite his success. But AP had his chance to show what he could do as the featured back last year and he failed. He's just not good enough. He's a 3rd back and special teams guy. Wish he was better because of how much I love the guy but he's not. We don't have to love Ced to use him - for a few moments there we hated Briggs but were prepared to put his talented ass to work anyway. Ced is no Briggs talent-wise but it's the same concept.
May 5, 2008
#63 JB said . . .The dreaded quintuple post.
May 5, 2008
#64 PolygonHell said . . .fair enough phil, but i reserve my right to boo ced repeatedly for no legit reason.
May 5, 2008
#65 Al in WI said . . .I would tend to agree with Mr Quintuple Poster, Ced's story has an awful lof of detail to be a complete fabrication.
Who knows what really happened, I guess I'm in the innocent until proven guilty camp.
May 5, 2008
#66 animal said . . .Phil, I was lumping Benson's locker room issues in with his "off field problems." Basically fighting Thomas Jones, leaving the sideline during preseason in '06, skipping practices, mouthing off in the media, and those types of things. I realize they aren't legal issues, but still.....
May 5, 2008
#67 jeff said . . .I remember Curtis pEnis' first game after his rookie holdout- preseason, vs. the Bills.
The crowd seemed to be there just waiting for him, and when he finally stepped on the field the entire crowd came alive and BOOOOOED their asses off!!!Anyway, the Ced talk reminded me of this. I foresee this happening to Ced the next time he touches Soldier turf in front of fans.
May 5, 2008
#68 Tenacious D said . . .mike golic just said on sportscenter that the chicago bears don't have big time tight ends. and he's paid to say that.
May 5, 2008
#69 jeff said . . .JB, Re: #55
Ced proved to me in 2006 that he can be very effective in a platoon situation, particularly late in the game. He was ripping off some pretty good chunks of yardage that year when he shared time with TJ. Who knows...maybe he can do the same thing with Forte.
Is he who I thought he'd be with the #4 pick? Absolutely not. Is he a featured back? No Way. But do I want to see us cut a talented player and get nothing in return. Absolutely not.
I guess I just don't see how cutting the guy makes us a better football team.
May 5, 2008
#70 animal said . . .it doesn't in the least. i actually don't want them to cut him. but i want to fire people up about him. i want this guy to go on the field and play like it matters to him. i fully expect him to be the starter week one.
May 5, 2008
#71 animal said . . .screw this.
Lets talk about something positive:
Craig Steltz, the latest Bears STEAL in the 4th round. Mark it down, Steltz is a starter at safety. Nathan Vasher redux.May 5, 2008
#72 jeff said . . .Jeff, in regards to your last post, read #66.
People will indeed be "fired up about him."May 5, 2008
#73 Max said . . .animal, i'm on record as loving craig steltz. and i agree. steltz/brown, baby. now if we can just score some points.
May 5, 2008
#74 Shady said . . .Golic sucks balls. . .
May 6, 2008
#75 Jesse said . . .... Greenie's balls.
May 6, 2008
#76 Jesse said . . .Okay, I've never posted this story, but I can't resist now.
I'm a DJ in the north Chicago burbs. I used to DJ at a spot where a lot of the Bears used to hang out. Cedric came in on a Saturday night during his rookie year...
This was a lake county bar, not a hot dance club, so there weren't that many good looking girls there... but I had 5 or 6 that came every week to hang out with me while I DJ'd. So obviously, Cedric hung out by me, cause that's where the girls were. We we're all having a great time, drinking and dancing, with Ced getting along well with everybody and getting plenty of attention from the girls.
Throughout the night, Ced was asking me about the girls, ie: Which ones were underage, which ones were crazy, which ones were slutty... all the pertinent information. I made sure to tell him to stay away from my girlfriend, and I gave him the info on the rest.
About a half hour before last call, a very drunk Cedric Benson danced up behind my girlfriend and started to grab her ass...
My girlfriend was bombed, and probably had no idea what was happening, I started to head towards Ced with a pissed off, "Don't fucking touch my girlfriend" kind of look... If I was sober, I probably would have been nicer about it.
(I should point out, that I'm not a physically intimidating person. About 6' tall, 165 lbs. And not in shape. I'm skinny, but without definition, Cedric Benson would certainly kick my ass)
Cedric Benson saw me coming and stepped away. Quickly, and with his hands up in the air like "I didn't do anything" I leaned in to his ear and said, "that ones mine, the rest are yours" and he apologized. A lot. In fact, he apologized a lot for the rest of the night.
He made me feel bad for getting angry. He was really nice. He stayed for a while after closing, signed a few things for the bouncers, told me that he had a great time and thanked me for introducing him to my friends, and he offered to help me carry my equipment to the car.
When he was walking out, he walked a couple of my female friends to their car, and then turned around and went home alone.
Now, a couple of things about Cedric Benson...
Cedric Benson backed down from little old me, while he was drunk. So I definitely can't picture him resisting arrest from Texas cops, in front of his momma. And certainly not to the point that he needed to be pepper sprayed.
He was really nice, but seemed very shy. He came and left alone. He was not a celebrity womanizer. In fact, when I pointed out that his favorite girl of the night had a boyfriend, he was legitimately disappointed. And he left her alone the rest of the night. And then he went home alone, despite the fact that several girls, who were all pretty damn good looking, would have loved to accompany him.
I'm not a big Cedric Benson fan, and he's certainly been a bust so far,
but I don't think we should cut him for this. I tend to think the truth is a little closer to his side of the story.
May 6, 2008
#77 Shady said . . .I just read Brad Biggs blog post that details the fact that cutting Benson saves the Bears no money.
Basically, we are spending the money on Benson either way, so then, yes. I definitely want him on the roster next year. And as a lifelong Bearamist, I am hopeful that Benson and Forte combine for a solid tandem this year.
May 6, 2008
#78 Just wondering.... said . . .Sweet story Jesse, I feel like I was THERE!
Thanks for sharing.
May 6, 2008
#79 Viva said . . .Wonder if Rex owns a boat, too...... Hmmmmmm
May 6, 2008
#80 Justin said . . .Jesse - Thanks for the insight.
I said this the day after the draft, and I will stick to it: if he can't play special teams, he will not have a spot on the roster.
May 6, 2008
#81 shonbear said . . .Everyone - Forte is completely untested. AP sucks and Wolfe sucks - That backfield wouldn't scare my grandma. We cannot just cut Benson and get NOTHING in return...NO WAY..not gonna happen. Benson and Forte much better than Forte and AP
May 6, 2008
#82 KentuckyBearsFan said . . .Jesse,
I like your story, it opens my mind to Ced a little. Although that might be the difference between a humble rookie and a guy who thinks more of himself after being in the league a couple years. I'm not a Ced fan based on what I've seen on the field so far, but it does seem a waste if there is still use for him in the one two punch concept that's been mentioned.
I also think that there is more to the story about what happened in Texas with this story. why in the world did these police need to take this so far. If there is nobody else licensed to drive the boat, these "police" take him away from the boat he was in and leave the boat with no licensed driver full of people drinking, then what they take Ced to jail. So it's ok to leave a boat full of drinking people with no driver? The logistics of it just seems very strange. Sounds like there is some possible harrassment involved.
Really, what I'd like to know is how does the locker room feel about this guy. If his team mates want him, I want him, if not then he needs to be let go.
On another note. He seems to have a strange history since college, with (1) the breaking into the house for the expensive television (how'd he get the pricey tv in the first place?), (2) the being in the house of weed with that girl and now (3) this thing. College for him wasn't that long ago, all these incidents have happened in the last 3-4 years.
Why or when are these high profile guys going to stop being in clubs with guns, being arrested for drugs, shootings, leaving the very expensive totalled cars on the street, DUI's. Come On!!!
Marvin Harrison - shooting
Pacman Jones - shooting etc...
Tank Johnson - guns a plethra and kids near
Cedric Benson - drugs, DUI's
Bengals - You name it they have it
Lance Briggs - Hit and run (we all know it's a DUI)
Michael Vick - Dog Killer
Randy Moss - Parking cop driver over
Many many more...At least Jim McMahon and John Riggins waited till they were retired to get their DUI's...
May 6, 2008
#83 RandomName said . . .Oh crap...sounds like its better if the Bears keep CB considering the options. He's better at running than AP, though not blocking or protecting Rex or Orton.
Jesse's story (and the fact that he was boating with family..not like the Minnesota love boat fiasco) makes CB sound NOT like the A-hole he's sounded like since he got to Chicago. Matt's right...CB looked like a big crackhead in that mugshot because of the pepper, not because CB is an actual crackhead.
Maybe (as far as off the field) it was his AGENT telling him to act like a jerk all this time (like Chad Johnson and T.Owens) to get more publicity?
May 6, 2008
#84 Rancid said . . .Everyone keeps thinking Ced is better than AP, I think that AP edges out Ced and at least he can catch.
May 6, 2008
#85 JB said . . .Even if CB were completely guilty, which it appears he isn't, he's probably not getting cut. That was more of a wish for me. It's his first issue as a Bear, he's not going anywhere.
With that said, I don't understand the "Forte is unproven rook" idea as an argument for why we need CB. Logic would then have to mean that CB is the opposite: a proven vet. Hardly. I'll take an unproven rookie over a guy who's already proved he's a piece of shit.
I really think CB has the talent. I just don't think we'll ever see more than flashes of it. I hate guys like that. I love guys like AP and Mike Brown. Of course, that's the luxury of being a fan. I can say screw CB, even though he has talent. It's a ton harder for the BT to do something like that.
Like others have said, I will be pulling for CB to do well when he returns as a Bear. That's the best thing for us. But he won't be a Bear that I particularly like. Kind of like Briggs. Most people have totally forgiven Briggs and are huge fans of his again. I love him on the field, I like his play, but I'm not getting his jersey anytime soon. Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I hold a grudge against these types. That's why I have a Thomas Jones voodoo doll and get annoyed on here at those who still mourn about him leaving. I want a running back we can cheer for and go nuts over. Do they even make Benson jersies for the fans? I'll take a chance at having that type of guy (Forte) over a decent football player who I know will never be that guy (CB).
May 6, 2008
#86 Pissed Off said . . .I am completely sick of the anti-AP on here right now. Are you guys serious? Is your memory that tainted? You keep saying Ced was great in tandom...look, that's all TJ. When you have a guy that works to wear down a defense and another guy comes in and "rips off big gains" at the end of the game, that's a reflection of the o-line and the starting running back. that is not a special trait. Let me hit you with some career stats:
Cedric Benson:
420 carries, 1593 yards, 3.8 ypc, 10 td rushing. 26 catches, 180 yards, 3 fumbles lost (not counting this big one in the super bowl).Adrian Peterson
284 carries, 1132 yards, 4.0 ypc, 8 td rushing. 70 catches, 609 yards, 2 fumbles lost.Roughly the same amount of total yards on less touches for AP. AP can block in pass protection...Ced is a serious liability there. AP contributes on special teams, Ced could not. AP was drafted in the 6th round, Ced 4th overall. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that AP is more talented than ced or whatever...but your arguments that ced is somehow a superior running back for this team are simply not true. Ced is a sunk cost, there is no way to get our money back or take our pick back from that draft, but there is no use in continuing to let him infect our team. I don't believe at all that they will cut him, but I'd love it if we did.
May 6, 2008
#87 animal said . . .Agree with Jeff that Ced will probably be the week one starter. How long that lasts and how much of a load Ced actually gets down the stretch is another questions.
I love Steltz but I'm not about to unseat Danieal Manning as the starter, no way, no how.
#80 Justin I agree with your sentiments but you have no proof. AP was just as good as Ced last year when he filled in so I tend to think that AP and Forte is pretty much the same as Ced and Forte. And AP is a better blocker than Ced. Pending Forte isnt a different guy when he's sharing time with AP..... Forte + Ced seems to be the same or worse than Forte + AP. Its really a Ced VS AP thing and I can argue that AP is better than Ced right now.
May 6, 2008
#88 Max said . . .the other side is out- on ESPN, the trib and sun-tmes sites, etc.
Ced being "cocky" and "insulting" and stinking like booze.
Hmmm.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/933366,CST-NWS-benson06.article
May 6, 2008
#89 Phil from SATX said . . .I am with PO'ed and JB on this one. I like Peterson more than Ced, but I could come from a biased opinion. That said, after a couple days of thought, I think we should keep Cedric. Maybe this will motivate him, maybe this will bring him out of his funk, who knows but it will provide competition during training camp and is another story line to follow all summer cause by about mid july I am going to be itching for something to read about, Bears-wise.
And one other thing, Jesse, good story by the way, it really does give some positive insight on a guy who has a lotta of negative coverage, but if you intimidate a drunken Cedric Benson and you are 6'0 165, imagine how Ced feels sober looking at guys 6'4 250? Probably wets himself yeah? Just a thought
May 6, 2008
#90 jdawg said . . .I have to agree with Max's last comment, and agree with our host as well - Jeff talked about Ced lacking balls, and that's exactly what I think is wrong with him. He's just not a badass, and while to me that makes him likely innocent on the boat, it also points to why he has been so spectacularly ordinary as a running back. It's why he falls down after 10 yards (because he feels that was productive enough and falling down means he'll minimize the defensive hit). It's why he lays on the ground for extra seconds on nearly every play (because he really does think those hits hurt and he doesn't like to hurt). It's why he whiffs so many times on picking up blocks (whiffs don't hurt nearly as much as a block). It's why he drops too many balls thrown to him (he's turned his head to prepare, NOT for the yards he's about to get, but for the potential hit he's about to get).
Ced is a wimp, plain and simple. He's pretended to be otherwise, and shown as much at times, but I believe his natural state is wimpiness.
Not a football player, in other words.
I believe I've convinced myself here - let's cut him and save actual dollars if not cap space.
May 6, 2008
#91 Phil from SATX said . . .I guess you could ask Junior Seau how much of a wimp Benson is, or that safety who had a bone broken last preseason.
This case will be dismissed.
The Chicago media has their panties in a wad right now (and I admit I was pissed at Ced when the story first came out), but soon the Bulls will hire a new head coach, Hester or Harris (or both) will sign a long-term deal, 54 will show up at camp, Brown will look like his old self, and this incident will reside in the footnotes of pre-preseason, where it belongs.
May 6, 2008
#92 Phil from SATX said . . .Ced is strong, Ced can mete out damage, I don't believe he's necessarily AFRAID of taking hits or scared of other players, I just don't think he likes the physical part of it - at all.
I think he is more like Ricky Williams than we ever dreamed, just not as talented or productive.
May 6, 2008
#93 mikebdot said . . .Of all the things I am looking forward to in the upcoming season, #1 with a bullet is watching my new hero and soon-to-be-king
Matt Forte
May 6, 2008
#94 mikebdot said . . .Phil: Ricky Williams ran behind Willie Roaf and Kyle Turley (before he went crazy). If those N.O. teams had anything, it was a pretty decent O-line, especially at the tackle position.
Last year Fred Miller (even in late '06) was quite possibly the worst RT in the entire league.
May 6, 2008
#95 Pissed Off said . . .Though, in '02, his best season, he was with the Dolphins. Of course, he received pretty much every carry. He wasn't nearly as effective in '03. Only difference was a rookie LT in the line, plus it was the last season for every other person on the line. Hmmm, maybe lineman CAN age pretty quickly. More bad news, too. They went from 10-6 in '03 to 4-12. 5 new starting linemen. One of which was John St. fucking Clair. Egads!
May 6, 2008
#96 Pissed Off said . . .Phil, I like your points but I dont think Ced is a wimp, I dont think anyone who dares play RB at any level is a wimp, especially professionally. And like jdawg set, he's put some hurt on some guys including that guy from the Texans I think it was where he bulled him over. I'm not trying to convince anyone I like Ced cuz I think he's a bum but his problem is simply that he doesnt care enough, not that he's a wimp.
Lets not compare Ricky to Ced please, Ced isnt even in the same category production wise as Ricky. If Ricky would have stayed off the bong he'd be a hall of famer.
May 6, 2008
#97 Pissed Off said . . .Still pisses me off about Ricky, that guy had so much talent and ability. Like in 02 when he put it all together he was the best back in the NFL, what a waste. Well I hope he enjoys smoking weed in a tent in africa, good trade-off for millions of dollars and a rockstar lifestyle.
What are the odds he resurfaces again this year for some team and takes some carries. Even last year he took some carries in a game for Miami before going down to an injury and subsequently for the rest of the season, and probably the rest of his career. Is he on Miami's roster?
May 6, 2008
#98 Phil from SATX said . . .I answered my own question.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/team/roster/playerBio.asp?docid=9631
May 6, 2008
#99 Max said . . .I guess a lot of what I discussed about Ced could have just as easily been attributed to laziness and lack of motivation, although I do think the various examples I listed are consistent with someone who really doesn't like to get hit. Maybe most don't. Either way a running back who attempts to avoid or diminish contact is not going to be nearly as successful as someone else who's not that way.
May 6, 2008
#100 animal not max said . . .Max I really dont think it is a question of if we LIKE Ced or AP better. I am willing to bet every Bears fan LIKES AP much more- he is a heart and soul guy, hustles, does anything he's asked, plays special teams (which is now the Bears identity, not the defense.)
The question is, who is a more talented running back? We like Ced very little, but believe he has much more talent, physical gift and potential than AP. AP at his best is maybe as good as Ced at his worst. Which is partly why we love AP, for overachieving, and hate Ced, for not coming close to his potential so far.
May 6, 2008
#101 jdawg said . . .sorry about #99, I was writing TO Max and accidentally named myself Max.
I know what a crime fake naming is here....
Speaking of which, where is asshole mike lately?May 6, 2008
#102 Tenacious D said . . .Benson's rehab is supposedly going well and he's' been putting in the work this off-season. I think he'll show up lighter, faster and more like the 2006 CB than the 2007 CB.
May 6, 2008
#103 Shady said . . .I just hope that the guy(s) who end up getting playing time at RB in 2008 for the Chicago Bears have to earn it in camp. The last times we handed a job to someone without competition (Ced, Rex) it didn't turn out so well. So I don't want it handed to Forte either without competition.
Bring Ced back, and let him, Forte, AP, Wolfe, PJ Pope, the ghost of Walter Payton, Staley the Bear, and anybody else we can think of to friggin slug it out. I don't really care who plays, or even whether its one guy or 4 splitting time. I think we'd all agree that we need to see better effort from the backs, better blocking from our line, and at least 200 yards per game rushing from our offense on a regular basis, and we'll all be happy as hell.
May 6, 2008
#104 Max said . . .Rancid, I think you put it perfectly:
"I'll take an unproven rookie over a guy who's already proved he's a piece of shit."
May 6, 2008
No disagreement animal. . . I know in a personality contest, AP wins in a landslide.
What i meant was that I like AP to start more than Ced.
Ill be the first to admit Benson has far more potential or a higher ceiling, whatever you want to call it, when it comes to running abilities. But since he has been given the starting job, he hasnt shown improvement or desire and in fact has gotten worse from when he was splitting carries with TJ
A.P. has a much lower ceiling in terms of talent but his heart and dedication in my opinion makes him a better running back at this exact moment.
Again, that is just my opinion, but I would rather see Forte/A.P than Benson/Forte strictly because based on last year Benson did nothing in terms of stats to show me he was a better back than A.P. and A.P. showed ten times more desire to be there than Benson did.
If this event lights a fire under Ced and he comes out and runs with authority in training camp, then by all means put him as the starter. Its just his lack of effort coupled with this "off the field incident" that makes me believe Ced doesnt want to be here.
. . . sorry, didnt mean to rant
May 6, 2008
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