Chad Ochocinco's Sweet New Fine

Dec 11, 2009 at 10:45 am

Chad Ochocinco is my new favourite football player. I never used to be a fan of his, disliking the showboating and all the other stuff that goes along with it, but it turns out I was wrong. I turns out, in fact, that I couldn't possibly have been any wronger if I had tried.

See, during the Cincinnati Bengals' recent victory over the Detroit Lions, Ochocinco was seen to celebrate a touchdown catch by putting on a poncho and sombrero. Of course, the use of a prop in a touchdown celebration is prohibited by NFL rules, so Johnson, er, Ocho was fined $30K for the infraction.

So am I so thrilled with Ocho's use of a prop I've been converted to his cause? No. I saw Joe Horn and his hidden cell phone routine years ago; nobody's ever going to top that one as far as sheer balls and foresight.

No, the reason I love Chad Ochocinco is as simple as it is elegant: "Chad Ochocinco Fined $30K for Sombrero," just might be the greatest headline I've ever read.

So sure, he may be more than a little obnoxious, and yeah, maybe he's everything wrong with the modern game of football. But you can't argue with the man's results. Chad Ochocinco knows how to write a headline. He even Tweeted before the game he was going to get fined, then went out and got himself fined in the most awesome way possible.

Hell, I almost care what the Bengals do now on Sunday, and trust me, that's never, ever happened before.