Cedric Benson Reminds Bears Fans Why He's a Bengal

Chicago has always been a city full of bars where after a few adult beverages, the inevitable conversation is about which former Chicago athletes should never have left.

There are Hall of Fame players that have left, like Lou Brock and Greg Maddux. There are also the All-Stars that were forced out of town in their prime, like Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and Ed Belfour.

Chicago also has a list of All-Star players that left before they were a recognizable name to the main stream, like Tony Romo and Joe Carter. Some All-Stars barely got their careers going in Chicago, like Elton Brand.

And there are, on rare occasion, the blockbuster names that move in a big time trade, such as Olden Polynice for Scottie Pippen or Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler.

And then there are the busts that show up somewhere else and do something right.

Like Cedric Benson.

Something that's troubled fans of the Chicago Bears throughout the early 2009 season has been the team's inability to establish the running game. After a tremendous rookie season, Matt Forte has struggled.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Benson is running like the kid the Bears drafted out of Texas. The kid that made quality veteran Thomas Jones expendable after running the Bears to the Super Bowl. The kid that was supposed to be the future in the Bears' backfield.

Benson is currently third in the NFL in rushing with 531 yards, and is considered one of the big reasons the Cincinnati Bengals are competing for a playoff spot this year. He was the first back in a couple years to put a 100-yard game on the Baltimore Ravens' defense, and has been the most consistent part of a good offense.

This week, Benson gets his chance to show the Bears they were wrong in person.

General Manager Jerry Angelo, during an interview with a Chicago sports radio show on Thursday morning, said the Bears changed their model for their offensive line this year, and are going through growing pains.

Guard Frank Omiyele has been blasted by fans and the Chicago media alike for his inability to do much of anything at the guard position next to a should-be-retired Orlando Pace.

According to Angelo, because of the number of 3-4 defenses the Bears will face this year and the size of some defensive interiors (specifically the Williams Boys in Minnesota), the Bears decided to go bigger at guard, using players that are closer to the size of tackles rather than smaller, quicker guard/center-type players.

So this is a learning curve.

The entire Bears offensive line has struggled to create lanes for Forte, and the hype around Cutler hasn't taken the spotlight off the Bears yet. It doesn't help, either, that two of the Bears first five games were losses in front of a national audience.

So here comes Benson, seeing an opportunity to break out his best "I'm classy, I swear" routine, and take advantage of a team that's down a little bit.

Benson claims the Bears blackballed him while he was a free agent, which is why it took him almost all of last year to get back on an NFL roster.

Really, Cedric? Really?

I'm sure it had nothing to do with Benson pulling himself out of the Super Bowl because he had what has formally been described by the Bears' medical staff as a "boo boo."

I'm sure it had nothing to do with Benson performing at a Rashaan Salaam level once the Bears traded away Jones.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with Benson getting a DUI on a boat after having a poor season.

Benson held out after he was drafted, and immediately complained about how he was treated by the veterans on the Bears.

Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown were allegedly especially hard on him, knocking him around like a pinball in light-contact drills and, at one point, hurting Benson's shoulder.

Benson also complained about playing time, and the media's perception of him. He just didn't seem to understand why the productive, professional, classy Jones was respected so much by his teammates, while the unproductive, unprofessional, immature Benson struggled to gain respect on the roster.

And here, again, is Benson throwing the Bears under the bus.

Well good for you, Cedric. Thanks for taking this opportunity to trash on the team that paid you millions of dollars to do absolutely nothing for their franchise. Sure, Benson's had a nice season. But that doesn't change the reason he's no longer in Chicago.

Benson's a Bengal because he has no class, no clue, and no heart. And I, for one, have not, and will not, miss him for a second.