Bears release RB Cedric Benson after latest arrest

[Kontradiction]

Benson says that he passed the tests without a problem and wants the video shown. How exactly does that make it "set in stone"? I'm not saying Benson is right or wrong, but that's what trials are for.

The players were stupid enough to allow the clause to be changed. They need to be smart enough to get it changed back, in order to insure that even the lesser players get the advantage of due process.

Of course he says he passed the tests. That was his second DUI in a month. He knew he was in deep sh!t with the NFL for this one. Do you really expect him to cop to it and say "yeah I did it" when he hadn't been kicked off the team yet and there was a ray of light that he would stay? Plus, how many cops do you think have it out for someone they have never met before?

 

[Deus Irae]

Of course he says he passed the tests. That was his second DUI in a month. He knew he was in deep sh!t with the NFL for this one. Do you really expect him to cop to it and say "yeah I did it" when he hadn't been kicked off the team yet and there was a ray of light that he would stay? Plus, how many cops do you think have it out for someone they have never met before?

I know cops, and plenty of them would be looking to give Benson a hassle. That is, however, just a side issue to the due process problem the NFL now has. It's bad enough that Commissioner Clouseau is judge, jury and executioner, without also allowing the teams to play those same roles.

 

[Kontradiction]

Oh, by the way Deus:

Before his release, Benson made one last-ditch effort to repair the situation, issuing an apology on Monday afternoon.

"I apologize for making the poor decision to drink and drive during the early morning of Saturday, June 7th," he said in a statement. "Given the incident last month, it was a particularly bad decision. I have no excuse for this lack of judgment.

"Though I strongly believe that I am not guilty of any crime, I realize that the public and the Bears organization hold me to higher standard. Though my local attorneys will continue to work hard to prove my innocence, I confess to using poor judgment. Please accept my deepest apology."

Benson was arrested on a drunken driving charge in Austin early Saturday and Bears officials said they would treat the matter seriously.

Benson's attorney, Sam Bassett, said Saturday that the former Texas star had a few drinks with dinner, but didn't think he was intoxicated, although he acknowledged his client would "probably be in trouble with his team."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3434053

His lawyer even admitted to Benson having a few drinks with dinner. So basically, he wasn't hammered, but his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit meaning that he was a prime suspect for a D.U.I. I'm not sure about Texas' laws but here in Florida, if you refuse a breathalizer that means that you're automatically going to jail for blood tests. So while he may not have been piss drunk, he was still driving under the influence. Two D.U.I.'s in one month is pretty bad. Like I said, the stories vary with the boat incident but the D.U.I. in the car is pretty set in stone. His lawyer said he did it which is pretty bad because the lawyer is charged with defending Benson.

By the way, one drink and you're already over the BAC.

 

[Deus Irae]

Oh, by the way Deus:



http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3434053

His lawyer even admitted to Benson having a few drinks with dinner. So basically, he wasn't hammered, but his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit meaning that he was a prime suspect for a D.U.I. I'm not sure about Texas' laws but here in Florida, if you refuse a breathalizer that means that you're automatically going to jail for blood tests. So while he may not have been piss drunk, he was still driving under the influence. Two D.U.I.'s in one month is pretty bad. Like I said, the stories vary with the boat incident but the D.U.I. in the car is pretty set in stone. His lawyer said he did it which is pretty bad because the lawyer is charged with defending Benson.

By the way, one drink and you're already over the BAC.

His BAL is unknown because it wasn't tested. In Texas, the limit is .08. Benson is listed at 220 lbs. He could easily have had 3 drinks and still been under the limit. In fact, according to this BAC calculator:

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/safety/motorist/drunkdriving/calculator.htm

He could have had 5 and still passed the test, although it would have been close.

 

[WhoaDirty]

The BAL here is 0.04 and one drink doesn't put me over the limit, so I would imagine with a meal he would need a lot of drinks to be over 0.08.

One thing I notice on a lot of boards is that a lot of people are slamming this guy for getting two DUIs and being a bum. To me, two DUIs in a month is indicative of a drinking problem - it's too bad so many people are calling for his head rather than seeing the guy get some help.

 

[Kontradiction]

His BAL is unknown because it wasn't tested. In Texas, the limit is .08. Benson is listed at 220 lbs. He could easily have had 3 drinks and still been under the limit. In fact, according to this BAC calculator:

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/safety/motorist/drunkdriving/calculator.htm

He could have had 5 and still passed the test, although it would have been close.

I weigh just over 220 and own my own breahalizer for drinking and driving purposes. When I've had three drinks (which is a "few"), I'm over .08. Well over in fact. Oh and I'm not a fat guy even though I'm starting to get a belly.

 

[Lakesidepatsfan]

So have the bears got another running back whose decent enough to step up to their first team?

 

[godef]

Should the Pats bring Benson in for a look???????

He would need to switch to Koolaid.

 

[Kontradiction]

The BAL here is 0.04 and one drink doesn't put me over the limit, so I would imagine with a meal he would need a lot of drinks to be over 0.08.

One thing I notice on a lot of boards is that a lot of people are slamming this guy for getting two DUIs and being a bum. To me, two DUIs in a month is indicative of a drinking problem - it's too bad so many people are calling for his head rather than seeing the guy get some help.

I've never called him a bum and I've never cared whether or not he got kicked off the Bears. But you're right, the guy might have a drinking problem that needs to be addressed. Either that, or he just has a horrible decision problem. Anyway, getting kicked off the team may do him a world of good.

 

[WhoaDirty]

I've never called him a bum and I've never cared whether or not he got kicked off the Bears. But you're right, the guy might have a drinking problem that needs to be addressed. Either that, or he just has a horrible decision problem. Anyway, getting kicked off the team may do him a world of good.

Not going after anyone here specifically KontractioN, just something I notice on the internets in general and wanted to comment on.

 

[Kontradiction]

Not going after anyone here specifically KontractioN, just something I notice on the internets in general and wanted to comment on.

Kall me Kontra.

 

[Deus Irae]

I weigh just over 220 and own my own breahalizer for drinking and driving purposes. When I've had three drinks (which is a "few"), I'm over .08. Well over in fact. Oh and I'm not a fat guy even though I'm starting to get a belly.

Get your machine checked. With your size and gender, there's no way 3 drinks should be putting you over 0.8.

 

[Kontradiction]

Get your machine checked. With your size and gender, there's no way 3 drinks should be putting you over 0.8.

Not really. Per the website that you just linked into here, a 220 male with three drinks consumed over three hours (yes, three hours. I can finish three beers in 30 minutes but I felt like being generous) produces a BAC of 0.016... over the legal limit.

 

[Deus Irae]

Not really. Per the website that you just linked into here, a 220 male with three drinks consumed over three hours (yes, three hours. I can finish three beers in 30 minutes but I felt like being generous) produces a BAC of 0.016... over the legal limit.

The legal limit is .08. .016 is nowhere near that high. As I said, and I don't mean it as a smartass, check your machine. While BAL levels vary somewhat on a person to person basis, 3 drinks shouldn't be putting you over the limit at your size.

 

[patchick]

Not really. Per the website that you just linked into here, a 220 male with three drinks consumed over three hours (yes, three hours. I can finish three beers in 30 minutes but I felt like being generous) produces a BAC of 0.016... over the legal limit.

Hmm...Kontra, if you're BAL is 0.016 and you've determined that you're over the limit of .08, you may not have a drinking problem but you do have a mathing problem.

In terms of "due process," the Bears aren't convicting Benson of any crime. They're reacting to his acknowledged poor judgment that has brought a lot of bad publicity to an organization whose entire business is about public image and appeal. We also have no idea what conversations and informal understandings they had with the player before this most recent incident that could have affected their decision.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The BAL here is 0.04 and one drink doesn't put me over the limit, so I would imagine with a meal he would need a lot of drinks to be over 0.08.

One thing I notice on a lot of boards is that a lot of people are slamming this guy for getting two DUIs and being a bum. To me, two DUIs in a month is indicative of a drinking problem - it's too bad so many people are calling for his head rather than seeing the guy get some help.

Benson is in the program for DUI. Drinking anything is a problem for him, that's the way it works. Playing in the NFL is a priviledge, not a right. When he was arrested in 2002 while still in college for partying a little too loud and hearty, and charged with possession of pot and alcohol, it was the cops fault then too for picking on him.

This is an interesting piece from Chicago on his stay in the windy city. As they say, someone else will give him a shot, top 5 picks in this league always get at least two or three bites at the apple. His 5 year contract signed after a 36 day holdout was for $35M with $16M in signing bonus. He has now hired Ricky Williams and Reggie Bush's lawyer to rehab his employable image.

"He wasn't crying because he was overcome with joy or pride. He wasn't crying over the honor of running in the city where Walter Payton ran or playing for a proud franchise that reveres its football stars or any other reason he has offered the past three years.

No, Cedric Benson cried on the day of the NFL draft in 2005 because he was upset the Bears took him with the fourth overall selection. Benson was so filled with fury and frustration over the contentious contract battle he knew awaited him, one that eventually led to a 36-day holdout, that he couldn't fight back the tears rolling down his cheek.

It's a telling account that reveals something about Benson that the Bears never had a chance of overcoming: From Day 1 as an NFL player, Cedric Benson was always about Cedric Benson. And always would be.

From holding out to leaving the sidelines early during a game to pouting over playing behind Thomas Jones to partying at 2 a.m. in a city where his bull's-eye is even bigger than it is in Chicago, Benson put himself ahead of the team. That attitude might not make Benson unique in the NFL or even on the Bears. But it contributed as much as anything to Benson becoming an ex-Bear.

Criticize Angelo for whiffing on the 2005 draft class that featured Benson and second-round pick Mark Bradley, but not for the way he handled this. Angelo didn't do this to Benson. Benson did it to himself."



http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...go-bears-cedric-benson-haugh,0,1614268.column

 

[Kontradiction]

The legal limit is .08. .016 is nowhere near that high. As I said, and I don't mean it as a smartass, check your machine. While BAL levels vary somewhat on a person to person basis, 3 drinks shouldn't be putting you over the limit at your size.

Perhaps. I chugged a glass of rum one night and blew into it and it registered at over 4.0 meaning that if it were true, I would have been in an alcohol induced coma.

Hmm...Kontra, if you're BAL is 0.016 and you've determined that you're over the limit of .08, you may not have a drinking problem but you do have a mathing problem.

I think you're right. I started adding more and more drinks to the equation and it went over 1.0 so I just assumed the 0.016 was higher than 0.8.

Anyhoo, so you guys understand why I immediately go into attack mode when things of this sort happen, it's because nobody else gave us the benefit of the doubt about the whole Spygate garbage/SB walk-thru so I don't see why we should extend other teams and their fans the same courtesy.

 

[SoCal Pmen]

Angelo must be on the hot seat. After the SB appearance he's done very little to address the QB situation and he dealt the better of the two RB's last year to the Jets. For his sake, this kid Forte better be ready or they're going to take up space in the cellar of that division.

 

[Lakesidepatsfan]

Angelo must be on the hot seat. After the SB appearance he's done very little to address the QB situation and he dealt the better of the two RB's last year to the Jets. For his sake, this kid Forte better be ready or they're going to take up space in the cellar of that division.

unless hes lining up a surprise move for shaun alexander

 

[Zeke_Mowatt]

I like the article in your sig.

I thought it was great! Sure, it falls into the butterfly effect category, but I thought the whole tone and eventuality of it was hilarious!