Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson just used up his last ounce of public and team goodwill over the weekend -- if he had any left to begin with.
Perhaps you'll recall that Benson was involved in a controversial boating under the influence arrest down in Texas several week ago. Essentially, Benson was saying that he was the victim of overly aggressive police action and I think initially a lot of people gave that contention some credence. I admit that I did for a couple of reasons. For one thing, Benson was immediately forthcoming about the incident, describing what occurred in detail. Secondly, there was some corroborating accounts -- some from friends of Benson that had to be viewed in that context and some from apparently impartial observers. At least there was enough there to think that just maybe this time, the athlete in an arrest situation may be getting a raw deal. Maybe.
Over the weekend, though, Benson was arrested for driving under the influence in Texas. He says he passed the field sobriety test, which is what he also said about the boating incident. The police reported said he was glassy-eyed and unsteady, according news accounts. Some alleged questionable driving was involved prompting the police stop. It was in the middle of the night. Benson's lawyer says he had 2-3 drinks. OK, so what happened over the weekend doesn't necessarily prove what did or didn't happen with the boat -- but it probably doesn't matter any more.
The Bears front office, meaning GM Jerry Angelo, had this understandable and telling reaction: "Disappointment is too much an often-used word when we're talking about Cedric."
