I Hate Cedric Benson

[Bucklion]

HL,


I know you come from a bit of a different perspective on this one, and I respect your opinion. I caution you against using Mariotti as your defense point though...he makes his living trashing everything that is Chicago sports (not just the Bears, but the White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Bulls too) so him siding with Benson isn't that much of a surprise.

And of course the Bears are a terrible organization, and Jerry Angelo is perhaps the worst personnel guy of all-time. Witness leaving the team in the lurch at QB...again. You think, I surmise from your post, that they are a horrible organization for not getting him signed for more money than they've offered...I think it is a horrible organization for drafting him in the first place (for many reasons, not the least of which is that they really didn't need a RB more than a QB), so we can just agree to disagree. They offered him 17 million in guaranteed money, more than fair considering the contracts above him and below him, and the money that Brown (at 2) and Williams (at 5) got. His problem is he wants the money that Rivers got last year...and no team would pay that to a RB drafted fourth.

Just my opinion...you are entitled to yours.

[BuckWrestler141]

H.L. -

I agree many of it is taken out of context, I can tell you that the thoughts of him in Chicago are not good at all though. I think the Bears are mislabeled as being cheap though, Tait, Muhammad, and others make them one of the top ten spenders in the FA.

Are the Bears in some way to blame? Most likely Jerry at one time at least was trying to demand itbe a 6 year deal (only one other player in the first round has a 6 year deal (Alex Smith) ).

Even if the Bears are to blame I still don't like Bensons charactor, I think he is making a huge mistake. For one the Urlacher craze has kind of died down here in Chicago; Chicago LOVES its football though, with no real chicago pro team doing great, the city is waiting to pass on its endorsement king crown, If Cedric had played his cards right he could have easily been that guy, and made that 1.5 million they are argueing about in endorsments.

I say start cutting his deal, rookies make more every year... it'll only take a couple of teams to put there foot down to make this trend change, nobody wants to be the first team to do it though; espically a owner already in the hot seat. Bo Jackson relisted and was a season long holdout, he didn't even get drafted in the first day the next year. If a few teams take a stand these unproven rookies wouldn't be able to demand absurd amounts. Cedric as you said is at a position that needs a good first payday because they are considered washed up at 30 years old. Well taking a year off is one pay year before the age of 30 he won't see, and when he comes back he'll be making a hell of a lot less. I don't understand why teams don't get that concept before giving in to obscene demands. If the player proves himself the first year he can pull a Hines Ward or T.O. and hold out demanding a increase in salary but these rookies have proved nothing.

/End Rant

[High Lonesome]

I caution you against using Mariotti as your defense point though...he makes his living trashing everything that is Chicago sports (not just the Bears, but the White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Bulls too) so him siding with Benson isn't that much of a surprise.

I really don't know anything about Marriotti in Chicago other than he is on around the horn(or as I call it, nap time) but regardless I agree with him in this situation.

I can completely understand the people that are upset with his hold out. It is rediculous and annoing, however, it is the state of the nfl. The people that question his character bother me some. Most of you are all worked up about the quote about his teammates, I ask you this... Did you actualy hear the quote. It was not said in mallace but rather in joy. Amused was a poor word choice, but given his tone and body language, it was clear that amused=happy. He had a smile ear to ear and was so happy for them.

Frankly, he's an asshole. I respected Benson a lot before I read that, but now I hope he washes out of the NFL. Fuck him.

Thats a rediculous quote and "frankly" says much more about you than anything else.

If the player proves himself the first year he can pull a Hines Ward or T.O. and hold out demanding a increase in salary but these rookies have proved nothing.

I don't really understand why you are willing to put up with hold outs after one year and not in the rookie year. My oppinion is that the hold out business is rediculous. Why is the NFL the only place in america that a contract isn't worth the paper its written on?

[scarletngrey11]

after how ricky williams acted, benson definantly should watch his mouth and be the biggest team play he can, instead hes drawing comparisons to ricky williams and acts like him, he doesnt act like a good guy devoted to the game.

[BuckWrestler141]

Originally Posted by High Lonesome

I don't really understand why you are willing to put up with hold outs after one year and not in the rookie year. My oppinion is that the hold out business is rediculous. Why is the NFL the only place in america that a contract isn't worth the paper its written on?

Well you don't have to agree, as you are 'the other side to the story' but my thoughts on it being okey for a proven player to hold out compared to a rookie....

I guess i'm willing to put up with it because Football contracts don't mean that much compared to NBA contracts. If an NFL team can back out of the contract if a player doesn't produce then a player should be given the option to do the same....fully knowing he won't be liked by the community for it (unless well deserved...such as the Hines Ward case). The reason I can't stand it from rookies? Curtis Enis, Rashamm Sallam, David Terrell, Michael Haynes (not a complete bust but not worth his pick). They all sucked in the nfl, yet were able to demand top dollars over real players.

If the NFL like like the NBA in that you were gurentee'd your money much more so, i would be against the hold outs, but as long as the teams can cut players i'm fine with well reasoned hold-outs I wish Benson would just sign his deal, that i'm sure isn't too bad and if he proves himself then he can ask for his money but being a Bear we are very skeptical of first round picks. Tommie Harris has been our only success.

[Bucklion]

Originally Posted by High Lonesome

I really don't know anything about Marriotti in Chicago other than he is on around the horn(or as I call it, nap time) but regardless I agree with him in this situation.

I can completely understand the people that are upset with his hold out. It is rediculous and annoing, however, it is the state of the nfl. The people that question his character bother me some. Most of you are all worked up about the quote about his teammates, I ask you this... Did you actualy hear the quote. It was not said in mallace but rather in joy. Amused was a poor word choice, but given his tone and body language, it was clear that amused=happy. He had a smile ear to ear and was so happy for them.


Thats a rediculous quote and "frankly" says much more about you than anything else.


I don't really understand why you are willing to put up with hold outs after one year and not in the rookie year. My oppinion is that the hold out business is rediculous. Why is the NFL the only place in america that a contract isn't worth the paper its written on?

HL I think the problem is you are blaming the Bears for the piss-poor collective bargaining agreement the players have in the NFL. To be fair to Chicago people, there has been a lot of that talk on the local circuit the last few weeks, the consensus being that the situation sucks, but much like TO it isn't the team's fault individually, so much as it is a league problem.

Two good examples are (and you raised the first) is the contract only binding the player, and not the team. That is especially the case in the TO saga, so much of a complete asshole as he is, a lot of people see his point. The second example is the fact that rookies, before they ever play, net a huge amount of guaranteed money, whereas a guy who has lit the shit out of the NFL like Shaun Alexander can't get a multi-year deal. Like it or not, the draft is a slotted system that is fairly well set in stone. So, if you are the fourth pick, you get somewhere between what the third and fifth pick get...period. That's just the way it works, and if the players want to change it, then maybe they need someone other than Gene Upshaw to do their bargaining for them. It isn't the Bears fault...it's the NFL system.

Case in point is the Chargers, who went outside the box last year and paid a ridiculous amount to Phillip Rivers at the four spot. No other team is willing to do that, especially with a RB, and so when Benson and his agent attempt to use that contract as leverage, no other team will even acknowledge its existence, let alone approach it with a RB, which are considered more expendable.

I hate a system that beats guys up, gives 80% of them AVN, requires a lifetime of medical care and puts them through a great deal of torment the rest of their life, and yet they can be cut in a second as soon as they get hurt, but that's what everybody has.

You can hate Chicago if you want, but the bottom line is that no other team in the NFL would be giving him what he is asking, and that's why the people in Chicago (Mariotti aside) are siding more with the Bears in this one.

[TheMile]

Originally Posted by High Lonesome

Thats a rediculous quote and "frankly" says much more about you than anything else.

How is the quote ridiculous? Are you implying he didn't say it or that it's taken out of context, or are you defending it?


Edit: Hmm, some quick googling doesn't really come up with anything. The best source I can find is this, and there's some obvious bias there. I'm a little skeptical he actually said it now.

[Bestbuck36]

The biggest difference between Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson....Ricky's good.

Now before everyone gets all bent out of shape, I have been a Dolphins fan for 30 years. What Ricky did was near unforgivable and probably set the franchise back for 3 years minimum. The problem is Ricky didnt publicly rag on his teammates he only made himself look stupid. He let his teammates down but didn't call them out or anything. Lastly, Ricky Williams is damn near unstoppable with a football in his hands and a mediocre line, Cedric Benson hasn't even signed his contract yet and is running his mouth. Complete Tool!