As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Bengals running back Cedric Benson has become the center of attention.
Benson, the former Bears draft bust who's having a big year in Cincinnati, has said the Bears "blackballed" him with general managers around the league. And now the Chicago media is pouncing on Benson.
Our friend David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune has a particularly pointed assessment of Benson's tenure with the Bears, saying that the 2005 No. 4 overall pick was the biggest bust the team ever had.
Haugh reports that Benson cried on draft day because he was upset the Bears drafted him, and that Benson's camp pleaded with the Bears not to draft him because Benson's representatives and the Bears' front office had very different ideas about what kind of rookie contract Benson should receive. (Benson ultimately signed 36 days after training camp started.)
Haugh notes that another Bear-turned-Bengal, Tank Johnson, will be warmly received by his ex-teammates when the Bears and Bengals meed on the field Sunday: Even though Johnson's off-field problems forced the Bears to sever ties with him, he was well-liked by his teammates.
The same can't be said about Benson, who complained that the Bears' defense hit him too hard in practice because they resented his high draft status and the big contract that went with it. It's safe to say the Bears' defense will do all they can to make life just as unpleasant for Benson on Sunday as it was for three years when he was on the team.
Bad blood between Benson, Bears
Posted by Michael David Smith on October 24, 2009 3:12 PM ET
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Latest stories in: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Tank is well liked because he never hurt anybody and as a good American he was exercising his 2nd amendment rights.
Benson on the other hand has substance abuse problems and was anti-social toward his fellow Bears and was never a "teammate".
Benson is not a good person.
Note that since the Benson holdout the Bears have been one of the first teams to sign all their draft picks. Of course his agent is Eugene Parker who holds out almost all of his clients (like Crabtree this season).
good. chew em up, Benson.
I don't think the comment about them hitting him too hard is a fair representation of what Benson said. He said that the veterans wanted Thomas Jones instead (which no one has denied) and was taking cheap shots at him during practice. One of them which injured him of course, that's quite a bit different than saying they hit too hard.
No one really knows besides the people in the Bears organization, but it is clear Benson felt like he was the odd man out before he even joined the team and that friends of Jones were trying to get him out of there. Couple that with the typical pressure of being a top five pick, it might be understandable that he never got comfortable there.
Benson's an insult to all the other morons in the world. All the Bears did was tell the truth. He was lazy, he loafed, he didn't produce and he didn't care. Some teammates think he quit on the team in the Super Bowl, Urlacher and Briggs among them. Other than that, he was great. This is a guy who got $17,000,000 was was deadass broke three years later. Not exactly a member of MENSA.
You mean Bear-turned-Bengal I assume MDS.
The bears are embarrassing
I'd like to make a more insightful comment than saying that this article is crap, but I can't. This article is crap.
There are 100's of boys to men stories in the NFL.
This one is a classic. Mike Brown chooses to take a chance on talent over character and as it happens the talent and character improve. I hope Duh Bears D will be so focused on Benson and Leonard that, Palmer and his fab 4 will air it out. Ocho will have a big game. Bengals win 28-14
"the Bears' defense hit him too hard in practice because they resented his high draft status and the big contract that went with it. "
Everyone knows the Bears hate high draft picks. Hell, they just handed the Broncos their future for, funny enough, something else they hate, the big contract.
Maybe they will hit Crybaby Cutler hard in practice as well.
Franchise that is such a retarded contract. 'Everyone knows the Bears hate high draft picks'? Really? And where are you getting that from?
They just gave Jay Cutler a huge contract, gave Briggs a big one two years ago, gave Brian Urlacher a big contract a few years ago, Charles tillman, Nathan Vasher, Devin Hester, Tommie Harris, Alex Brown.... Should I even go on? Basically, you are a dumbass and you have absolutely no idea what the hell you are talking about.
Benson was a little Bitch before he got to Chicago where you have to earn your spot not have it given to you. The mistake was letting Thomas Jones go and giving Benson the starting job. I know Urlacher wasn't pleased and thats who Benson is talking about when referring to being hit too hard by. The Bears will shut Benson down just like they did Michael Turner.
benson was a complete bust with the bears and will soon flame out in cincy.the yards he piled up last season were against the some of the worst teams im the league.I guess the bears are the reason nobody else wanted him when he was a free agent this off season to.you watch he will take himself out of the game after the first big hit he takes sun.he and not grossman is the reason the bears lost the superbowl.jones had run for td and benson fumbles on his first carry next series changed the momentum of the game right there.total wussy crybaby.
This sounds like an interesting matchup. The Bears defense vs. Cedric Benson. The Bengals are missing to starters on their Defensive line so this could get interesting. Being a Steelers fan, I wouldn't be upset if the Bears beat the Bengals.
GO STEELERS!
Bob Nelson says: October 24, 2009 4:02 PM
Tank is well liked because he never hurt anybody and as a good American he was exercising his 2nd amendment rights.
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possessing a handgun, and assault rifles, illegally is exercising your 2nd amendment rights and being a good american? according to your definition gangbangers are good americans.
i don't think tank is a bad guy, and i'm all about right to bear arms LEGALLY. but sticking up for tank when he was clearly in the wrong just undermines honest backing of the amendment.
you're stupid bob.
Benson has been a model citizen and has said all the right things since being in Cincinnati. I am fine if the Bears D shuts him down as long as we get the win, and after hearing all of Benson's interviews this season, he feels the same way. He has been a model teammate. It's too bad that he couldn't have done the same in Chicago, but it sounds like they knew what they were getting into when they drafted him.
And fix the damn comment submission form. This is real damn annoying.
Tank Johnson, will be warmly received by his ex-teammates when the Bears and Bengals meed on the field
Meed isnt a word, Michael david smith, the most generic name on earth.
"The bears are embarrassing"
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How so? Benson was a bum. Dude quit in the SB.
"Everyone knows the Bears hate high draft picks. Hell, they just handed the Broncos their future for, funny enough, something else they hate, the big contract."
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What else are you going to pay for a starting QB? Draft picks are much more of a risk than a vet. Look at past drafts, and check out how many became even good players, and notice how many are already out of the league.
"This one is a classic. Mike Brown chooses to take a chance on talent over character and as it happens the talent and character improve. I hope Duh Bears D will be so focused on Benson and Leonard that, Palmer and his fab 4 will air it out. Ocho will have a big game. Bengals win 28-14"
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Only if they spot the Bungholes 14 pts. Don't be confused by your winning record so far, the Bengals aren't that good. The Bears threw away a game last week against a superior team to your Bengals.
"Given Benson’s tumultuous and disappointing three-season stint with the Bears – and the career resuscitation he has enjoyed since joining the Bengals last September – doesn’t Urlacher wish he could smack his former teammate into submission?
“Not at all,” Urlacher said Wednesday. “The dude is playing his ass off, and it doesn’t bother me. I didn’t have a problem with Cedric; he just didn’t fit here, I guess. But we’ve got Matt Forte now. It worked out good for him, and it worked out good for us.”" - from Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports article right here http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Au0ax8puGKoGc4378u3tKTJDubYF?slug=ms-thegameface102309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
So....they don't hate him...Urlacher, the leader of the defense (who has been admittedly quiet of recent years) says he doesn't have a problem with Benson and it worked out for both parties. Long story short, you're throwing s*** against the wall and seeing what sticks.
Sorry to say it BEARS fans, but i would take Cedric Benson over Forte any day of the week!!!!
# LATRELL843 says: October 24, 2009 8:49 PM
Sorry to say it BEARS fans, but i would take Cedric Benson over Forte any day of the week!!!!
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Take him where?
Maybe a nice candle light dinner and a little dancing?
Sounds like you have a man crush on stink hair boy and you are ready to spend a night at the "All The Way Inn"
@Klytus ...
I'm with you--sounds like an interesting little spat. Don't know who's right or wrong, but I hope Da Bears spend the day hitting ALL the Bengals too hard.
Go Steelers!
(Is this Fla./Miss St. game ever going to end??)