OT: Chad Johnson is now Chad Ocho Cinco

[Eric]

Friday, August 29, 2008

Bengals wide receiver changes last name to Ocho Cinco
Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- Maybe receiver Chad Johnson can go by the name that his head coach hates.

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla., a switch that became official this week. Johnson, who lives in Miami, didn't return a message left on his cell phone Friday night.

"It's something I don't think anyone has ever done before," he told the team's Web site. "Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do? I'm having fun."

Two years ago, Johnson gave himself the moniker -- a reference in Spanish to his No. 85 -- and put it on the back of his uniform before a game.

Quarterback Carson Palmer ripped it off before the kickoff. After the season, coach Marvin Lewis -- who dislikes Johnson's attention-getting stunts -- referred to the receiver as "Ocho Psycho."

Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said the Bengals had no comment on the matter.

Johnson has been a concern for the Bengals this season. He unsuccessfully lobbied for a trade in the offseason, threatening to sit out if he didn't get his way. When the Bengals refused, he relented and showed up for minicamp, but complained that his right ankle was bothering him.

He had bone spurs removed from the ankle and was limited at the start of training camp. In the second preseason game, he landed awkwardly and temporarily dislocated his left shoulder. Johnson is wearing a harness and expects to play in the season opener against Baltimore.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3560377

[34swtns]

So does this mean that he can legally wear a jersey with the name "Ocho Cinco" on the nameplate, now?

[Neely8]

That dude is mental.

[David]

The funny thing is 85 in Spanish is ochenta y cinco, not ocho cinco.

[metsbats]

Must be a jock spelling thing. Mark Mcgwire at times wrote the words "two five" on the knobs of his bats.

David

[jboosted92]

Must be a jock spelling thing. Mark Mcgwire at times wrote the words "two five" on the knobs of his bats.

David

im gonna go out on a limb, and say "two five" was because "Twenty Five" was more letters to write on a knob

[godwulf]

I'm strictly a Baseball guy, and don't really know beans about football...but it has always seemed to me that a sense of humor, collectively and historically, is much more a part of The National Pastime than with football, or any other organized sport.

In the case of football, it might be because the players are all padded up, their faces obscured by helmets and masks, and they're running around trying to kill one another - just a guess.

Among Baseball players, management and fans, changing one's name to a number would not be considered anything very strange or unusual. Maybe it's because Baseball folks have more time, in the course of a game, to reflect on life and its vagaries. Maybe it's because they have, in the sport's history, simply seen it all, and now they're surprised by nothing.

From its early days right up till today, a sense of fun and a certain degree of weirdness and eccentricity have been a basic component of Baseball - from the pitcher, whose name escapes me at the moment, who used to have to be physically restrained from running off of the mound and out of the stadium when he heard a fire siren, because he loved to chase the trucks, to Bob Ueker playing the outfield while holding a tuba.

Eccentricity in Baseball is all part of the game. I get the impression that in football, it's viewed with a certain degree of suspicion, and tolerated only, grudgingly, in the most exceptional players and coaches.

Bill "Spaceman" Lee, who used to wear number "37", was always trying to get management to let him wear "337" - so that when he stood on his head, it would spell out his name.

You see, to a Baseball fan, that makes total sense.

[David]

Marvin Lewis should tell Chad, "We looked it up and there is no such number 'Ocho Cinco' in English, Spanish or any other language, so we're giving you uniform number 77. If you don't like it, then next time try using a language that exists, dumb f*ck."

[David]

Actually, what would be humorous if if the Bengals wrote out his paychecks to "Johnson."

[trsent]

All so stiff - The guy is having fun, good for him.

Some people have SportsCenter mentally, some people just come out and play the game. A guy who likes attention and will abuse things just to receive more attention will always find people preaching negatives towards them because some people just want everyone to be a nine to fiver and go to work and go home and don't bother us with your life.

My wife watches these stupid shows about Hollywood people all the time. They are hyping people who are attention grabbers, and everyone who complains about it on a public forum is just a complainer and time waster (like this post!).

I say bravo to Chad Ocho Cinco for being nuts enough to do something like this for a team that sometimes appears to have more members on probation than on their practice squad.