Blitzing Bear Blog: Williams on Benson

Bear Report's Blitzing Bear Blog always keeps you in the loop each and every day of the week with all the latest news, notes, and quotes surrounding the Monsters of the Midway. From hirings to firings and roster moves to the police blotter, the BBB is the place to be for your Chicago Bears.

Friday, 9:51 a.m.
The story surrounding Cedric Benson and his arrest on charges of drunken boating and resisting arrest just keeps getting more bizarre, as it turns out another former Texas tailback was apparently on the guest list that day: Ricky Williams. According to Williams in the Austin American-Statesman, Benson invited him out on his boat on the day in question but the fellow Longhorn declined to go. Benson eventually had to be pepper-sprayed by police, athough the running back steadfastly maintains that he did nothing wrong.

Williams believes he could have helped Benson that day, mainly because of the self-professed "calming influence" he has on people. "As a high-level athlete," Williams said, "it's just something that's ingrained in me. I always think that if I'm there, things would be different. I can't say how."

It has not been confirmed whether said calming influence is the result of habitual use of marijuana – Williams has failed the NFL's drug policy on four occasions.

Thursday, 2:48 p.m.
The 2008 Subway Bears Expo presented by Chase – yes, that's two title sponsors for one weekend because the McCaskey family is apparently running out of money – will be held June 7-8 at Soldier Field, as the Hilton Chicago is no longer big enough to host the event once known as Fan Convention. Not only will those in attendance be able to get autographs and buy merchandise, but they can also tour the locker room and kick field goals. Every member of the draft class is scheduled to be there, as will several legendary Midway Monsters like Gale Sayers and Richard Dent.

Head coach Lovie Smith, general manager Jerry Angelo, and CEO Ted Phillips will be on hand to conduct seminars, along with all three of the team's coordinators and supervisor of NFL officials Jim Daopoulos.

Wednesday, 8:11 a.m.
Brian Urlacher opened up to Yahoo.com about his contract Tuesday, claiming that his representatives haven't made any progress with the Bears organization on a new deal for the eventual Hall-of-Famer in the last two months. Additionally, Urlacher won't be attending OTAs at Halas Hall and will most likely miss the team's mandatory veteran minicamp at the end of the month. In all reality, a player of his caliber doesn't necessarily need extra workouts in the offseason to perform at his usual Pro Bowl level, and it might even give the defense a better chance to see what it has in young linebackers Jamar Williams and Michael Okwo.

Despite the fact that he is signed through the 2011 season and was the league's highest-paid player back when he originally signed his seven-year extension in 2004, Urlacher believes he is now worth more because times have changed financally in the NFL. "When I signed my deal the salary cap was $75 million," he said. "It's, what, $116 million now? Things have changed."

Monday, 2:59 p.m.
The Bears finally have some good news to report regarding one of their supposedly unhappy players. Robbie Gould, the All-Pro kicker in 2006 and the most accurate field-goal artist in franchise history, signed a five-year contract extension Monday that will keep him in Chicago through the 2013 season. During his three-year tenure in the Windy City, Gould has connected on 84 of 99 three-point attempts and 99 of his 100 extra points.

The former Penn State Nittany Lion is one of only six players in NFL history to score at least 125 points in consecutive seasons, posting 126 in `07 after an NFC-leading 143 in `06.

Monday, 9:36 a.m.
Speaking about the Cedric Benson situation publicly for the very first time Saturday night at the 13th annual Bears Care Gala, general manager Jerry Angelo said that his leading rusher made a "lapse in judgment" that would not cost him his roster spot in Chicago. Benson was arrested May 3 near his home in Austin, Texas and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. However, Benson denies he was drunk and claims he did not become belligerent with police, and it appears that more than one eyewitness at the scene is backing up the former Longhorn's account of the story.

"There are no plans to cut him," Angelo said. "You run with this way too much. I'm a little surprised it's an everyday story, but unfortunately it is and he's having to deal with it. So we’ll just go from here."

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