Cedric Benson Arrested for Allegedly Punching Bartender

revived Bengals running back (and former Bear bust and Texas Longhorn legend), has been considered, up to now anyway, somewhat of a second-chance success story in Cincinnati.

But with the news that he was arrested for allegedly punching an Austin, Texas bartender surfacing, it's unlikely that you will hear much sympathy for Benson in the future. And it may tone down the talk about how the Bengals are in really good shape heading into 2010.

That's not saying that one bad apple in what has traditionally been a very rotten bag of fruit can spoil a potential return to the playoffs, but it's certainly not a good sign for Cincinnati when Benson -- who had been actively seeking a new contract from the Bengals -- is getting in trouble before training camp even begins.

The good news is that Benson posted bail and was released from Travis County jail. The bad news is that Benson was supposedly involved in an "altercation" and was being "escorted out" of the bar when he delivered the punch, according to an affidavit.

Benson hired attorney David Cornwell on Tuesday. If that name rings a bell, it's because Cornwell is the attorney who represented Ben Roethlisberger when the Steelers quarterback was facing sexual assault accusations in Georgia. Cornwell gave the following statement to ESPN:

"Though we adamantly dispute that Cedric committed a crime, Cedric will continue to cooperate with law enforcement, the Bengals and the NFL in their investigation of these events."

All of this, coupled with Benson's previous legal troubles while he was with the Bears, means that the running back is likely to get a call from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the near future.