Message to Bears: Get serious

Think of it all as one: two unregistered assault rifles, six unregistered guns in all, a police raid, drugs in the house, a toddler and an infant.

Remember that Tank Johnson already was on probation for a gun charge. And in another incident, last February, he was being ticketed for double-parking and things ended up getting heated with the cop, and Johnson allegedly told him: ''You ain't the only one with a Glock. If it wasn't for your gun and your badge, I'd kick your ass.''

The Bears are going to take this seriously, right? And we are, too?

I know, I know. The Bears' defense isn't looking as dominant as it was earlier in the year. And Johnson became an even bigger part of any Super Bowl hopes when fellow defensive tackle Tommie Harris got hurt. But we have to stop putting that sort of thing above everything else.

A toddler, an infant and unregistered assault rifles? Come on. This is a Tank Johnson problem, but also a Bears problem and an NFL problem. Even bigger, athletes and guns have become a sports culture problem.

The Bears, who had the issue last year with Olin Kreutz and Fred Miller and the shooting range, are going to act on this, right?

Johnson was arrested Thursday on six counts of unlawful possession of weapons. In this case, he allegedly had six guns in the house and no registration card. Another man who apparently lives in his house was arrested on a felony charge of marijuana possession.

''It definitely is a concern because Tank has had to deal with some things like this in the past,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said. ''Yes, it definitely is a concern.''

If the Bears want to make a statement about what's really important, they will not play Johnson. Everything is just alleged now, with no convictions. So the Bears should suspend him with pay, and when the justice system has taken its course, re-evaluate then. Just do it, Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo. I know it hurts. But this isn't just embarrassing; it's important. Take it seriously.

If this all is true, you have to ask: Why doesn't Johnson learn?

I just had a moment of deja vu: Several weeks ago, I asked the same thing about Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, who had been a big part of the brawl with fans in Detroit. This year, he was arrested after an incident at a strip club that allegedly involved him firing a gun.

NBA commissioner David Stern is so worked up over his league's thug image that he keeps trying new things. He also said he wished players would stop carrying guns. And some people went nuts over this being America and the players' rights.

And then on Thursday, we saw pictures of two small kids being carried out of Johnson's house while police raided it, looking for guns.

Last year, after the Kreutz-Miller thing, I asked Johnson about guns and why he has them.

''I grew up in the desert in Arizona, and guns are looked at there as just another thing,'' he said. ''In Texas, it's like that as well. And in the South.

''It's about having fun. We're not out to harm someone.''

The NBA isn't the only league with trouble. The NFL might be even worse, with some incredible arrests this year for several types of charges. Bears cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. was suspended for a game after pleading no contest to a felony assault charge. He was alleged to have beaten a man in a Los Angeles Denny's.

Eight Cincinnati Bengals and four San Diego Chargers have been arrested this year. And NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Bengals president Mike Brown on Monday to offer his help.

That wasn't as generous an offer as it sounds. By ''help,'' he was suggesting that the Bengals had better fix things now, or he would take care of it for them. And Goodell already has started to come down with increasingly strict penalties.

Goodell seems to take it seriously.

Four years ago, former NFL player Lomas Brown told the New York Times how startling the league's gun trend had become during his 19-year career. He said players were taking guns onto team flights, into locker rooms, cars, training-camp dorms.

''Just about every guy I played with in the NFL had a gun,'' he said. ''Almost every player I knew had one. Guns are rampant in football. You have all these players packing guns wherever they go. It's a disaster waiting to happen.''

You could say that the news with Johnson wasn't a disaster Thursday. No one got shot.

Charges were dropped from Johnson's earlier battery charge with the police officer. And no one has been convicted yet from Thursday's raid.

Meanwhile, the Bears can really use Johnson now. So they can just blow this off with some harsh-sounding words.

''We're constantly talking to our players about doing the right thing,'' Smith said. ''And [they] do the right thing the majority of the time. But sometimes things like this come up.''

Maybe all that talking isn't enough. The problems keep stacking up. The sports world's, the Bears' and Johnson's, too.

For now, the disaster is still only waiting to happen.

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