Cedric the (Not So) Entertainer

The Chicago Bears, both Sinickal and my favorite team, decided to release talented but ultimately unproductive running back Cedric Benson this week after his second arrest in one month for drunken operation of heavy mechanized vehicles. Although he maintains his innocence, the first instance stemming from a stop on a lake outside Austin, Texas in his boat and the second after being stopped leaving a social meeting with some friends after "a couple of drinks", the Bears ultimately felt that these distractions, along with his Shaun Alexander-like ability to go down after gaining 3 yards upon first contact, would be detrimental to the team.

Now, this leaves the Bears with a serious dearth of running backs on the roster, and no running backs with any real starting experience. (The do have Matt Lawrence, P.J. Pope and Garrett Wolfe, along with Adrian Peterson who just underwent an appendectomy). This means that the Bears hope for a running game rests upon the 44th pick in the NFL Draft, Matt Forte from Tulane, as well as a much improved (I hope) offensive line. Couple this with the much publicized QB troubles, and the Bears seem to be starting the 2008 NFL campaign on a much less than offensive foot. (Except for Robbie Gould's - his is gold).

However, I welcome the release of Cedric Benson. He simply wasn't tough enough to be the type of running back that would live up to the expectations of being the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. In fact, Robert Guillaume may have been a tougher Benson.

When did I come to this conclusion? How about the instant that the Bears selected Cedric Benson - IN APRIL 2005 WHEN HE CRIED AFTER HIS NAME WAS CALLED AT THE NFL DRAFT!!! THAT'S RIGHT, CRIED!!!.

Now, perhaps I can understand that some people would show emotion at realizing their life-long dream of playing in the NFL. Nah, never mind. I CAN'T!!! Especially not when it was a foregone conclusion that Benson was going to be drafted no worse than 5th that year, and had the possibility of being drafted second or third. He knew that he was not only going to be drafted by the NFL, but drafted incredibly high. What on earth was there to cry about? Dumbass!

It is for instances like these where the NFL needs to institute a rule where the team that drafts a player has 10 minutes to observe that player after making the pick in order to determine if they want to keep their pick or select somebody else. It would be akin to the rule that gives you 72 hours to rescind a real estate contract or a contract for pest control services. Had this rule been in effect at the time of the 2005 draft, the Bears definitely would have considered Benson a vermin and drafted someone else, perhaps sixth pick Adam Jones, the Cornerback from West Virginia.

No way HE would have given the Bears any problems.