Player's Journal: The Ocho Rant

Chad Johnson is back-- on the microphone at least, because I haven't seen him do much of anything on the field. I have said before that self-promotion in the NFL is fun to read, and it brings something to the table, in terms of entertainment. Basically, it sells tickets and players. It is all in good taste, but Johnson's rant yesterday to the media was off-beat, filled with expletives, and really showed us his true colors.  Nice going Chad. I know the Bengals are terrible, and I know Johnson is a nobody this year in terms of production (11 catches for 116 yards and a TD).  I actually like trash talk, but keep it clean, keep it in favor of the fans who listen to you, and maybe, just maybe, win a ball game before you challenge management, your city, and the Dallas Cowboys-- who are going to pound you on Sunday. There are things you say to the media that can work in your favor and then there are things that make you look like a jackass.  Check out Johnson in a story by the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Here is an excerpt.... When asked about the Bengals off-field issues of the past, "No man, that has nothing to do with it," Ocho Cinco said in the teleconference. "Think about this: You remember our '05 season, right? ... Our '05 season is the year everybody went to jail and got arrested. That year everybody got in trouble. So maybe the bad (was) a good thing: It sounds dumb to say, but look at it. We have cleaned house and nobody is getting in trouble anymore, no DUIs, no arrests, now we're getting our (butt) whooped. Maybe I don't know - maybe I should go out, have a drink, get in trouble. I don't know what it is. Our '05 was one of the best years here in history. It was one of those years where there (were) a lot of distractions."  Well Chad, I wouldn't worry about that, because you guys just signed ex-Bear Cedric Benson who managed to get himself in the news for everything besides football, and your buddy Chris Henry is back, who is the king of off-field incidents. So, now you get your wish. Players that teams wouldn't even think about talking to, let alone offering real money to play football, are now in your locker room. I guess you have what you want. Nice.  Bottom line: the Bengals have turned into a disaster. Chad Johnson can talk about this and that, promote himself in an ignorant way, and still go out there and lay an egg with the rest of his teammates. We all know why you held a press conference in front of your locker. It is no different than the ones we hear from T.O. and Joey Porter. You do it to get your name in the paper because you and your teammates definitely haven't warranted the space. In reality, the Bengals can't run the football and might need to go into Texas Stadium without Carson Palmer again-- and come home with another loss. Some say talk is cheap, and I sometimes agree with that (it does add something to games), but when you go on a rant, drop F-bombs, and talk about bringing back guys who have single handedly sent the Bengals' franchise to the lowest point in pro sports, I have to give my opinion.  The NFL is driven by the media. Fans can't get enough of this stuff. We have networks dedicated to the league and websites that offer analysis on everything football. But Chad Johnson's effort to get his name back in the spotlight was garbage. To be honest, it bothers me to even write about this guy, but I think it is proper that I always give my own opinion on relevant NFL news (I think this is relevant, right?). However, I feel like I am reading The National Enquirer whenever I hear nonsense like this. So, in saying that, congrats to Chad Johnson, you did just enough, said just enough shocking and ludicrous things to get into my blog, but I am officially done writing about you.  Good day.

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