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Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo pronounced himself disappointed in running back Cedric Benson for his arrest last weekend for boating while intoxicated, even as he said the team plans to stick with Benson.
“The thing that I am most disappointed in is the fact that he put himself in a position to be the victim,” Angelo said Saturday night, per the Daily Herald.
But that doesn’t make much sense: If Angelo thinks Benson is telling the truth, and he was just a law-abiding citizen enjoying an evening on his boat when the police dragged him away and pepper-sprayed him, how is that putting himself in a position to be the victim? And if Angelo thinks Benson isn’t telling the truth, then he shouldn’t view Benson as “the victim” at all.
Regardless of the outcome of the legal case surrounding the boating incident, there has been talk that the Bears could cut Benson because he’s coming off a season in which he averaged just 3.4 yards a carry. Angelo says that won’t happen.
“There’s no plans to cut him,” he said. “I’m a little surprised it’s an everyday story, but unfortunately it is and he’s having to deal with it. I’m not anticipating any reason why he wouldn’t be [in training camp]. We’ll just let the courts decide what the facts are and we’ll go from there.”
Benson will enter training camp ahead of rookie Matt Forte’ and last year’s backups, Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe, on the depth chart.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I think its obvious that the writing is on the wall for Cedrick Benson. I personally think the guy still has a future in the league, but I doubt that it is in Chicago.
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May 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
If the Bears do not cut Benson, he’ll count at least 6.8 mil against the cap over the next two years (around 1.5 more/season more if he rushes for over 700 yards/season). If they cut him, he’ll count 5 mil against the cap over the next two years.
So by cutting Benson, they’d save 1.8 mil in cap room, AND they’d save 1.8 mil in actual dollars spent (since they wouldn’t have to pay his salary).
Personally, I think Benson will be cut as soon as he can pass a physical (a la Shaun Alexander). I don’t see the Bears keeping 4 active running backs this season, and I don’t see them cutting Garrett Wolfe over Benson. If they still planned on having Benson have a major role, they probably wouldn’t have drafted an “all-around” running back, and wouldn’t have spent a second rounder on him.
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May 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I’m more disappointed in Jerry Angelo than I am in Cedric Benson
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May 11th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Regardless of how the boating incident is resolved in the court of law, I don’t think it will have a material impact on Benson’s status with the Bears.
Benson’s status will be determined by how will he runs the ball this season. Unfortunately, the Bears might have difficulty running the ball consistently and effectively until they have a credible passing offense.
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May 11th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Yeah, what Jerry Angelo had to say didn’t make much sense. My guess is that indeed Cedric Benson was a law abiding citizen and that the police targeted him and screwed him over. That is becoming more and more apparent. If the police are correct, though, then they need to provide evidence.
As for football playing … Benson stiiiinks. But, some of that laughable production had to do with the Chicago Bears’ woeful offensive line. Adrian Peterson is much more explosive than he showed last year.
It’s that one of our strengths from the Super Bowl year in ‘06 turned to mush — fast. (Offensive line.)
Here’s hoping for Forte to the future and a successful season.
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May 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
If Angelo believes Benson’s version of events (which looks like the more plausible fo the two), when what the heck did Benson do wrong? Should he sit at home all day every day until camp?
It’s too bad Angelo chose to push him under the bus.
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May 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
i hear that belichick filmed benson’s arrest…film at eleven.
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May 11th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I thought Angelo was saying he was disappointed in Benson’s production…which would have been a much more interesting story. And funny.
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May 11th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
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“The thing that I am most disappointed in is the fact that he put himself in a position to be the victim.”
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Angelo’s comment makes perfect sense. Benson stated that he felt that he’d been targeted and his friend said that he’d been boarded at least six times. Yet, he was still out there. In addition, no one denies that he’d been drinking. Its no different than going to a bar or dance club where you know trouble might arise. As a pro athlete you do have a responsibility not to put yourself in that position and he, by his own admission, certainly did.
I might also mention that I think Angelo’s comments were more than appropriate in that they didn’t criticize Benson by going any farther. Angelo stuck to the facts and didn’t comment upon whether he believed Benson’s side of the story. That is obviously for a court to decide.
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May 11th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Angelo has to live with his mistake…
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May 11th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
“Angelo’s comment makes perfect sense. Benson stated that he felt that he’d been targeted and his friend said that he’d been boarded at least six times. Yet, he was still out there. In addition, no one denies that he’d been drinking. Its no different than going to a bar or dance club where you know trouble might arise. As a pro athlete you do have a responsibility not to put yourself in that position and he, by his own admission, certainly did.”
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tshanno - I think it’s unfair to expect Benson to withdraw from this activity because law enforcement happen to be (overly?) zealous about doing their job. It’s one thing to expect athletes to disassociate themselves from “shady” civilians, or abstain from situations that are magnets for “questionable”, unlawful activity. But it’s taking things too far to expect that an athlete avoid normal recreation, and avoid *professionals* whose job it is to *fairly* enforce rules and *protect* Cedric - not unjustly do him harm. Are you saying that Cedric should have allowed those officers scare him away from the lake *entirely*? I’ll give you that perhaps he shouldn’t have been drinking - but even this is up for debate…since it is entirely within the law to drink “responsibly” (you know, drink w/o getting “drunk”) - and Cedric’s drinking could have fallen within these guidelines.
It is placing an unfair share of the burden on Cedric to “keep the peace” by expecting him to avoid the lake. Expect Cedric to abide by the rules and behave in a responsible manner, yes - but don’t expect him to avoid the lake entirely (ideally, shouldn’t it be *safe* to recreate in areas patrolled by law-enforcement?). In addition to the responsibility that Cedric has to conduct himself accordingly - the officers also bear some responsibility to enforce the rules in a fair, non-discriminatory manner.
I guess next, you will be saying that athletes shouldn’t go shopping because certain employees treat them like (potential) thieves and follow them around stores - and that may lead to some confrontation or (false) arrest. Ridiculous!
After that, you will be saying that athletes should not leave their homes at all, except to go to games and practices - because some random person is bound to cause them trouble at anytime. Asinine!
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May 11th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Also tshanno - to justify your position, you mention that Benson’s boat had been boarded at least six times. Apparently, Cedric and his party was NOT found of ANY wrongdoing on each of those previous six occassions. And you think Cedric still should have taken his boat and gone home, huh?
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May 12th, 2008 at 6:06 am
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mskrs:
In addition to the responsibility that Cedric has to conduct himself accordingly - the officers also bear some responsibility to enforce the rules in a fair, non-discriminatory manner.
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I whole heartedly agree and was very glad that Angelo made a point to not pass judgment upon Benson in terms of whether he told the truth or not and whether he was maltreated.
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mskrs:
Expect Cedric to abide by the rules and behave in a responsible manner, yes - but don’t expect him to avoid the lake entirely (ideally, shouldn’t it be *safe* to recreate in areas patrolled by law-enforcement?).
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Your points are all well-taken. But I stand by my position that Angelo’s comment makes perfect sense. Benson did put himself in the position to be the victim.
You have to deal with the world as it is, not how you’d like it to be. I agree that its a shame and it saddens me. But that’s the way it is.
Sorry.
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May 12th, 2008 at 7:07 am
mskrs,
Benson, a highly paid running back for the Bears, has had two previous brushes with the law during his college days in Texas.
The picture provided by his friend, Ms. Cartwright, clearly showed a vodka bottle in plain view - a good way to attract law enforcement. The place where the boat was boarded was a well known party place.
The fact that Benson’s boat was boarded six previous times shows that it would only be a matter of time until there might be trouble - especially in light of the fact that drinking was taking place on the boat.
Twenty-two fatalities had taken place in recent years on Lake Travis. This in itself, should have put Lake Travis on the map. Instead, it’s an NFL running back who gets that honor because of his latest brush with the law.
I have ridden in boats, in the past, where the owners did not allow drinking at all. Call it what you will. I call it good judgment and playing it safe.
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May 12th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Has Matt Walsh come forward with claims of tapes of Benson yet?
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May 12th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Just as a matter of record, Jerry Angelo’s comments generally do not make any sense.
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