BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
The Two Faced Bengals Re-sign Chris Henry
August 19th, 2008
As long as you can play ball, thug it out all you want.
That’s the clear message the Bengals are sending. They did all there faking, fronting and pretending about zero tolerance, but it meant nothing. When Henry was facing jail time for assault and damage of property it was easy for them to pretend to take the high road and release him; suspecting he might not be available anyway. Now that the jury couldn’t reach a verdict, and there two pro bowl receivers are injured; all that zero-tolerance, high road b.s. goes out the window.
The Bengals in the last couple of years had earned the reputation of “thugs-are-us” after having 10 different players arrested in 14 months lead by 5 arrest of Henry alone in his 3 years with the Bengals.
But just like with every other team, just about, pro or college; as long as you can play, nobody cares what you do. And then we pretend to wonder why our society is the way it is. There’s no repercussions. There’s no repercussions for certain people, so why would you ever expect them to do anything different if they ultimately face no consequences no matter what they do and no matter how many times they do it.
- Receiver Chris Henry Rejoins Cincinnati Bengals
CINCINNATI (AP) ― With their two Pro Bowl receivers hurt, the Cincinnati Bengals brought back troubled receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday, a move that their coach had emphatically ruled out only a month earlier as inappropriate.
The signing helps the team but raises questions about its commitment to holding players accountable for their actions. Henry must serve a four-game suspension from the NFL — his third such punishment — before he can fully rejoin the team.
The move was stunning in light of Lewis’ statement shortly before training camp opened that the team had permanently parted ways with the receiver, who has been arrested five times since he joined the Bengals. Henry had indicated he was interested in rejoining Cincinnati.
“I’m not interested,” Lewis said at the team’s annual preseason luncheon on July 22. “I don’t think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there’s responsibilities to being an NFL player. It’s a privilege, it’s not a right. There’s a lot that comes with being an NFL football player.”
The Bengals evidently feel differently after Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson sprained his left shoulder during a 27-10 preseason loss to Detroit on Sunday night, leaving his status uncertain. Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has missed both preseason games with a hamstring injury as well.
The Bengals released Henry after he was accused of punching a college student and breaking his car window with a beer bottle in March. Bengals president Mike Brown also cut ties with Henry, saying he could no longer be with the team.
“His conduct can no longer be tolerated,” Brown said at the time. “The Bengals tried for an extended period of time to support Chris and his potentially bright career. We had hoped to guide him toward an appropriate standard of personal responsibility that this community would support and that would allow him to play in the NFL. … But those efforts end today, as we move on with what is best for our team.”
The Bengals had no immediate comment on their decision to re-sign Henry, who was expected to practice with the team on Tuesday evening.
Henry was suspended by the league for two games in 2006 and for the first eight games of last season for repeatedly violating its conduct policies. He received the this season’s suspension for the latest court case, which ended in a mistrial with the charges later dropped.
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Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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