Cedric Benson Screws Us Over

This sucks. We kept you all updated on the Cedric Benson drunk boating fiasco back at the beginning of May, and we were more than a little forgiving when we heard reports that he was treated unfairly by cops.

Now? Benson goes and gets a DUI. That's his second arrest in a little over a month, for those of you keeping score, and the Bears really had no choice--they cut him yesterday.

You know, we could make all sorts of comments about Benson's horrid stats for the Bears--something about how his arrests nearly equal his average yards per carry--but the truth is that this is just sad.

We've seen plenty of sports figures get DUIs; some even have legitimate problems with controlling their drinking habits. It doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

The Bears are down another running back. The NFL is down another potential role model.




Photo of the wheels coming off--not actually Benson's car--from here.

Benson, cont'd

We didn't really have time to write up something beyond just a quick notifier about Cedric Benson's arrest while boating last weekend.

Turns out it was good, because even though Jhuff did put a quick post out on Monday, new information has come out.

To recap, Jhuff and I were immediately suspicious when we heard that Benson was arrested for being drunk while boating in Lake Travis, near Austin, Texas. I don't know how many JJ readers have gone boating, but all our experiences have involved (at least) a six pack. I mean, get real.

But when Benson put out a statement saying that he was treated improperly by officers, I reacted the way I react when any athlete starts protesting their "unjust" treatment when they get caught up in the law. That is, I basically rolled my eyes and wrote Benson off.

I did find some solace in this great Rosenblog post. ("Police pepper-sprayed Benson, 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.")

But this morning I read this piece about one of Benson's friends speaking out on his side. She was on the boat. The Chicago Tibune writes:

There were about 15 people on the boat, including Benson's mother, Jackie, who had spent much of the evening swimming in a part of the lake known as Devil's Cove. Just when the group had decided to head back to shore around 9:30 p.m. and go out to dinner, a patrol boat stopped to conduct a random check.

According to Cartwright, she had consumed one beer and Benson had two drinks.

"I know Cedric and I don't think he was drunk," Cartwright said.

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

"We were all like, 'Why?' " she said.

Apparently, Cartwright and her fiance had gone boating with Benson six times previously, and they were pulled over each time. Is it because they've always been raucous? I'm sorry, but I just don't see how crazily drunk Benson could have gotten with his own mother on the boat, before dinner. Besides, even though Benson isn't exactly loved in the Bears locker room, he doesn't have a reputation for drunken tomfoolery, as far as I know.

So the plot thickens.

Considering I know absolutely nothing about this region of Texas, I'm hesitant to pin this on racial profiling or anything conspiratorial.

I would say, though, that we should be equally hesitant to pin all the blame on Benson, because it all just seems so fishy.


Photo from here.

The Bears Lost the Super Bowl Because the Colts Scored More Points...Or Something

I can’t refuse to comment on the Super Bowl, though I realize it has received way too much hype as it is (Love Smith is black?!). To me, it was an incredibly simple game to analyze:

The Bears’ defense did better than most people expected—they held the Colts to 22 points, which is honorable a) because it was against the best offense in the league/one of the best of all time and b) because their offense couldn’t hold the ball.

The Bears’ offense should be able to score 23, 24 points, it’s just three touchdowns and a field goal, and Devon Hester gave them a head start! But they simply couldn’t muster the points, even gifting the Colts a free 7.

I maintain that the biggest problem the Bears offense had was NOT Rex!! His interceptions/botched snaps happen every game, and they still win. I don’t like to ride Rex—after all, when he’s pressured and/or when first- and second-down run plays leave him with third and long and the whole world knows he’s passing it’s not completely his fault (I’d place it on the o-line and offensive coordinator Ron Turner)—but surely the responsibility for the loss falls on the offense.

No, no, the problem was Cedric Benson’s god-forsaken knee.

By taking our most important running back (I say most important because against the small Colts’ defense Benson’s size and power would have caused havoc, though Thomas Jones had a great game) the gods of sport effectively chopped off a leg of the Bears’ offense. As a result, the Bears couldn't run or hold onto the ball, which meant Peyton Manning had plenty of time to continue those dump off passes and slowly slowly slowly drive his team like a stake into Chicago's heart.

So that’s that: a game that started energetically and slowly deteriorated into a mostly boring Super Bowl, one that certainly was within reach for the Bears.

As many a dummy sportscaster would say, “The Bears just didn’t get it done.”

Or, my favorite: “Well, the Bears really needed some more points.”

Da Bearsss

Not only did the Bears make the Super Bowl for the first time in 20 years, but they did it in characteristic style.

First, the Bears destroyed America's team--somewhere, Dennis Quaid weeps. (The JJ Collective unanimously concluded that if there is to be any future Disney movie, it will have to end with this: "Unfortunately, the 2006-2007 New Orleans Saints lost a snowy NFC Championship game to the Chicago Bears, who went on to...in Super Bowl XLI"). Isn't it just like America's Second City to upend this country's grandest visions? Just don't tell anyone we invented the skyscraper.

Second, the Bears won playing Bears football. They played industrious defense, ran early and successfully, and truly sucked offensively most of the game.

Third, the Bears maintained their persona that has made them at once the most admirable and boring team this season. Media members from around the country have commented all season on the unequivocal interviews Lovie Smith's evenness, Urlacher's straightforwardness, and Grossman's plain (almost blind) optimism have produced. And I--I love it. I love how our defense only celebrates after important or outstanding stops. It comes from the leadership: if Ray Lewis so much as shields a guy out of bounds the entire Ravens defense gets new tattoos; after Urlacher pops someone in the mouth, he gets up, pulls the grass off his helmet, and calls the next defensive play. The simplicity is heavenly. Who doesn't need a break from the widespread over exaggeration in the NFL--all the way from the moronic announcers down?

Immediately, the Chicago media labelled the 2006-2007 Bears as the team to finally demote the 1985ers to history. I'm not so convinced. Too often this team has squeaked by--they're about as dependable as a Mayor Daley campaign speech. Besides, if they lose on Feb. 4th it will be them who quickly vacate our consciouses.

But what I do love is the prospect of my first ever TRUE Super Bowl experience and the fact that if Lovie, Urlacher, or Rex ever read this post they will probably nod, smile and get right back to work.