Actually, there's little doubt

Well, well, well.

Pacman Jones (that's the gentleman's booking mug at right) recently worked out for Cincinnati, which apparently also has interest in Matt Jones. Both Jones have had more than their share of run-ins with the law — which makes them just about right for the Bengals.

Cincy’s the team, after all, that in a 14th-month span in 2006-07 had no less than 10 players arrested.

In recent years the Bengals have added the troubled Tank Johnson and the troubled Larry Johnson to the mix.

In 2007, explaining his … uh … player-personnel philosophy, Bengals owner Mike Brown said, “I guess the world is divided up between redeemers and non-redeemers. I happen to be a redeemer.”

I’m guessing what he really is is someone looking to acquire what he thinks is top talent on the cheap.

Maybe I’m a cynic.

Letting Westbrook play: That’s disrespect

When the Cincinnati Bengals player formerly known as Chad Johnson flashed a dollar bill at a referee during a replay challenge, he was fined $20,000 by the NFL — and properly so — for the display of disrespect.

When Tennessee owner Bud Adams gave Buffalo fans the middle-finger salute after the Titans’ victory over the Bills, he was fined $250,000 by the NFL — and properly so — for the display of disrespect.

Sunday, three weeks after Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook suffered a concussion against Washington — he was out cold — he was allowed to play against San Diego.

With all we’ve learned recently about the link between football head trauma and cognitive damage, allowing a player to return that quickly, whether he’s asymptomatic or not — that is disrespectful, to the league, to the player’s life, to the player’s family.

Against the Chargers, unsurprisingly, Westbrook suffered another concussion. Eagles head coach Andy Reid insists his running back’s health is his No. 1 concern. If he respects his own word, he will not allow Westbrook back in pads this season.

* * *

Speaking of respect, what kind are the Bengals showing the league and their community with their signing of Larry Johnson?

Johnson last week was released by the Kansas City Chiefs after twice using anti-gay slurs and publicly ripping his own coach. But that’s just the tip of the Johnson iceberg.

In his time with KC, Johnson was accused four different times of assaulting women, was benched three games last year for violating team rules, and was sentenced to two years probation for disturbing the peace at a nightclub.

The Bengals, who have a history picking up bad actors, keep pledging to mend their ways. But this latest move says Cincinnati’s credo remains talent — even fading talent — over character.

* * *

Staying with a theme, as it appears we are, LeBron James wants to show respect to Michael Jordan. Which is fine.
But James wants to do it by convincing the league’s teams to retire Jordan’s number.

“I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon. There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first.”

Say what?

If there had never been a Michael Jordan, there most certainly still would have been James, Bryant and Wade.

To show the way, James says he’s going to give up his No. 23, Jordan’s old number, and switch to No. 6.

News flash for James: The greatest winner in NBA history is not Michael Jordan, but one William Felton Russell. Went by Bill. You must have heard of him — he won not six titles like Jordan, but 11.

Oh, and by the way, he wore No. 6.

Contact Jim Gordon at gjames43@msn.com.

When Are They Going to Learn Dept.

Two more examples this week of TUI — tweeting under the influence. How else to explain:

1) UCLA freshman receiver Randall Carroll not only complaining about Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow but referring to him with a racial slur?

2) Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson not only belittling head coach Todd Haley but using a gay slur?

It’s unclear whether Carroll will be disciplined, though he already has been suspended once this year for a violation of team rules. But Johnson has been suspended for his tweet, and the suspension will cost him about $600,000.

Yes — $600,000.

In the past few months, TUI or TWT — tweeting without thinking — has gotten a number of athletes in trouble. Perhaps Johnson and Carroll just weren’t paying attention.

Johnson, who followed his ill-advised tweet by using the slur again while talking to reporters, has a history of doing dumb things. Carroll has a way to go to match him, but he’s off to a promising start.

'Kind of' disgusted?

Chiefs star running back Larry Johnson said he was "kind of disgusted with myself” — after he was accused to spitting in the face of a woman at a Kansas City nightclub.

“Kind of disgusted”? Why the qualifier, Larry?

Actually, Johnson sounded contrite, and God knows he has reason. This is the fourth time in five years Johnson has been accused of assaulting a woman.

"This is the first time in my life I actually had to stand up, I mean actually woke up and kind of be disgusted with myself and disgusted as far as the way my life and my career is heading right now,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday.

Johnson apologized and made the usual promises: to get help, to work hard "to get my life back on track …”

But he added this, which is hopeful, “… and know that I and I alone put myself in these critical situations and environments to where things don't come out favorably to me.”

“"In times of darkness, you've got to look for the light and that's what I plan on doing, regardless of what suspensions and fines are being handed down. I will take them as sincerely as they give them out."

Well, we’ll see.