The Dish: Benson Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot
Is it any wonder his teammates hate Cedric Benson?
I mean, sure, Michael Strahan’s an idiot, and was rightly lampooned in the press for his tirade against a (female) ESPN reporter over words Strahan himself said. But Strahan’s also known as a relatively jovial fellow who has a lot of fans, a lot of sacks, and a lot of supporters in the Giants’ locker room. He’s probably not a Hall-of-Famer yet, but he’s in the conversation.
Who the hell is Cedric Benson? Up to this very moment, here are Benson’s lifetime NFL statistics: 156 rushes for 584 yards (a mediocre 3.7 yards per carry), four touchdowns, and just over 30 yards rushing per game. Benson probably could’ve been a bigger part of the Chicago Bears’ offense last season, his rookie year, if he hadn’t held out of training camp because he wanted more money. He watched the second half of a preseason game this fall from the locker room instead of the sidelines, because he claimed he didn’t know it was a rule that he had to be, y’know, with his teammates. And he’s pretty much done nothing but complain and act like a completely entitled athlete from the moment he was interviewed by Stuart Scott at the ‘05 Draft, when Scott asked him to compare himself to another recent University of Texas alumnus, Ricky Williams, and Benson acted like a surly idiot claiming he was nothing like the mercurial Williams, when it was well known that Williams was Benson’s hero in college.
Here are Benson’s latest comments, made during a radio interview this week. “My relationship with (Bears’ starting running back Thomas) Jones has kind of been the same, we’re not friends. Me coming in was something heavy for him to deal with in his career. I’m supportive of him, all for him doing good. I really learned that when you get to the NFL, it’s not like high school or college, but the best players don’t always get on the field.”
I ask you: what the hell good can come of this? Thomas Jones is having his second straight superb year. In 2005, he rushed for 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns; this year, he’s on pace for 1,375 yards. His career yards-per-carry is 4.0, and last year he logged in at 4.3. Watch a Bears game sometime: there is absolutely no question who the more talented running back is. Jones is a tough mofo who does anything, can run in the middle, can bang it outside, can catch passes, and can block. Benson is a guy who dances and cuts too much, has a good nose for the goal line, but has caught five passes in 10 games, and has had his blocking skills questioned. There’s absolutely no argument to be made that Benson should be playing more, let alone that he’s a “better player” than Jones. So the factual content of the statement is, well, not so factual. But then there’s the “teammate” factor. Why the hell does Benson need to make it known that he’s not friends with Jones? Or that he’s sure he’s a better player, and just not getting a chance to show it? Just who the hell is Cedric Benson?
The Bears locker room has been anti-Benson since his holdout, and these comments aren’t going to change that. Trust me: there’s a lot of eye-rolling and sneering going on today among Chicago players.
Well that settles that. USC throttles Notre Dame, and worries about an Ohio State vs. Michigan rematch are put to bed. I mean, that is what’s going to happen, right? Or do you give UCLA a puncher’s chance on Saturday?
BoDog Bookmakers, BoDog.ws: Well that’s why they play the games; there are some nights when the unthinkable happens. I don’t think UCLA wins this week, because USC is playing great football. The worst thing that could happen is Pete Carroll’s team starts looking ahead to the BCS Championship and has a letdown game, but I don’t think the coach will let that happen.
List the AFC teams that are better than every single NFC team. How many do you wind up with?
BDB, BoDog.ws: Colts, New England, San Diego, Baltimore and now that Kansas City has focused on the run, they could cause problems for any NFC team. The balance of power has really shifted, much like the early ’90s when the NFC Championship game was the “real” Super Bowl; this year’s AFC title game could be looked at in the same way. The dominance is obvious, with the AFC holding a 32-20 record over the NFC in head-to-head games.
With five weeks left in the season, it looks as though Detroit, Arizona and Oakland may be the teams to duke it out for the #1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. It’s obviously early, but with the college season fresh in our minds, can you give a sense who each of these teams would take if they had the top overall pick?
BDB, BoDog.ws: Detroit could’ve drafted Matt Leinart last year, but passed on him. If they get the #1 pick next time around, you can bet they won’t make the same mistake, and will take a quarterback. Arizona needs a lot of help on the offensive line, but it’s been 10 years since an offensive lineman has been selected first overall. Like the Lions, Oakland needs a quarterback, and Brady Quinn is the best choice. Quinn isn’t a typical Raider, but considering how the “typical” Raiders have been playing, that might be a good thing.
What’s kind of handle do you expect for the SEC title game? Big? Enormous? Gargantuan? Will it be the weekend’s biggest play for bettors? Does the Big 12 game measure up? USC? The ACC?
BDB, BoDog.ws: We’re expecting a big handle on all the games you mention this weekend, not only because they’re great match-ups, but also because there will only be a handful of games to bet on. Thus far, the largest handle has been coming in on the USC/UCLA game, with the SEC title game in a close second. The ACC is the only real standout game in the morning, so it should draw bettors’ attention early.