Odell Thurman Saga Disappointing

Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Odell Thurman were going for thhe same goal...cleaning up their negative image. The Bengals were pretty much known as the "Jail Cats" for their players' numerous offenses with the law. Thurman had just been re-instated after missing two years for a substance abuse violation.

Now, the Bengals are shooting themselves in the foot. The Cats released Odell Thurman "due to a dispute over the amount of time Thurman was away from the team dealing with a family matter," a team spokesman said. Thurman had taken a leave of absence due to his grandmother falling seriously ill, and later passing away. He had been away for a few weeks to be by her side, and when he was about to leave his family's side to go back to the team, they let him know that he was no longer a Cincinnati Bengal.

This is a touchy issue, because it deals with a death of a family member and the rights of a team. The team has the right to tell you when you have to come back to work, while dealing with the death and severe illness of a loved one is a tough burden to bear. It's hard to work in that sort of situation. Some people would say that work is a good cure to those trying times that ail you, but in this case, the organization is being a little unfair.

I feel bad for Thurman. He is trying to do the right thing. It's unfortunate that the leash was short on him to begin with, due to the past suspension, but we are 3 1/2 months away from the regular season. The Bengals could've cut him a little more slack.

Too bad this is what the Bengals will be missing out on:



Thanks to whodey9857