With all of the problem Players that the Bengals have had, does it indicate a lowering of standards in the NFL

Question

Chris Henry - 3 incidents
Frostee Rucker - 1 incident
A.J. Nicholson - 2 incidents

Answer 1

Like you, I am very disappointed with the Cincinnati Bengals and all their jailbird players. If they weren't athletes, they would almost certainly be in jail.

I agree that this shows lower standards in the NFL. Back in the 1990s, no NFL team would have taken this crap and would have kicked the player off the team. But today, if you show the least bit of talent, you're immune from jail; ex: (Chris Henry and the Bengals and O.J. Simpson)... To me, that is very disturbing and the NFL should put a stop to it before the NFL turns into whole teams like Chris Henry: the biggest dumbass that ever played the game.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

No, don't you remember a few years back when the Dallas Cowboys could make up a Police Lineup? Oh a whole 3 players are listed. Yeah 3 incidents sounds bad but you have to consider what they are. Also this isn't new. Remember when Ray Lewis was charged as I believe Accessory to Murder. The Ravens stuck by him, said they believed him that he wasn't guilty. Remember Bam Morris. Going back 10 years now. He was caught and pled guilty to drug possession. The Steelers released him as soon as he plead guilty. Then the Ravens, I believe, picked him up and paid him MORE money. He wasn't even a proven talent.

Answer 3

Thank you for your question.

There are three possible alternatives:

a) the Bengals haven't recruited well in terms of their off-field performance of their players;

b) the NFL has lower standards;

c) the standards of behavior amongst the type of young people that the AFL recruits from has declined.

The media at the moment is going for a.

"They knew all about Chris Henry's troubles in college - the ejection, the benching, the suspension, the coach's admonition that he had repeatedly embarrassed himself and West Virginia's football program.

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted him anyway.

Then, they tried to sidestep questions about the type of player they had chosen to join a team on the rise. "

Slam "Bad News Bengals: Rough summer in Cincinnati " 27 July
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/NFL/2006/07/27/1705991-ap.html

Bengals.com was taking a more positive tack.

While Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis grappled with the character question Wednesday, Levi Jones answered them.

He rolled out for a mid-afternoon news conference to announce his $40 million extension talking about loyalty and leadership, one of the 80 players Brown says is getting lost in the bad publicity of a few and showing why Lewis doesn’t think the off-field missteps during the offseason are going to infect his locker room.

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5347

"Bengals middle linebacker Odell Thurman was suspended Wednesday for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy, the latest blow to a team already stung by player arrests.

Four others have been arrested in separate incidents during the past two months, focusing attention on Cincinnati's willingness to draft players with troubled pasts.

The latest transgression will cost the Bengals one of their top playmakers on defense. Thurman, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia last year, led the team in tackles and had five interceptions as a rookie.

''I'm very disappointed,'' coach Marvin Lewis said. ``It's something that he needs to get in line in his life and get himself back ready to play football.''

Miami Herald "League suspends Bengals' Thurman" July 27
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/15131652.htm

It seems to me that the Bengals didn't pay enough attention to player character when recruiting. Hopefully they will not pay the price for it.

Answer 4

I think it indicates a lowering of standards by the Bengals, not neccessarily the entire NFL. They drafted these guys, knowing about their character issues. They took a chance on these guys, and now it's back-firing on them. The best thing they could do, image-wise, is cut their losses and get rid of these guys.

Answer 5

cant forget odell thurman-gone for 4 games.yes itis a lowering of standards,but every team has them.michael irvin in dallas got busted for cocaine and one cowboy died of overdose(gogan or stepnoski or newton) cant remember. the almighty ray lewis was near a murder,but was cleared(ahem). the problem is they give too much money for these idiots and they are too stupid to know what to do, probably bad parenting.

Answer 6

Yep! Dem Ben Gals aren't going to win the division with their lame attitudes. They should get classy players like us
WHODEY
WE DEY MUTHA F--kers!!!!

GO STEELERS