General

That’ll Be Enough From You, Ocho Cinco

Apr 17, 2008, 4:40 PM UTC

Before I begin this post, I’ve got to get it out there: I’m a Bengals fan and I split season tickets with my family back in Cincinnati. So yeah, you could say I’ve got a vested interest in the whole Chad Johnson saga.â†µâ†µI’m not sure why, but yesterday’s salvo
â†µfired at Carson Palmer of all people was it for me. Is he for real? His rational response to Palmer indicating Johnson would attend the team’s mandatory mini-camp in mid-June: “I wish he would stay out of my business,” Johnson said to John Clayton.â†µ

â†µâ†µI’ve been as much of an advocate for Chad Johnson as anyone for some time. When my colleague Mike DeCourcy wrote that silencing Johnson’s antics should be priority No. 1, I took him to task and talked about the team’s mediocre defense. When people kill him for the celebrations, I always say it’s all in good fun. What’s wrong with a little life in the No Fun League?â†µ

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â†µI went out of my way to go back to Cincinnati last summer to meet Ocho Cinco at Taste of the NFL so I could get a picture and an autograph. Now, that jersey I had autographed is on eBay. It can go anywhere; it just needs to be out of my apartment. (Ed. note: That sad photo of two ex-lovers during happier times in the upper right is said "picture.")â†µ

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â†µâ†µDon’t get me wrong; the downward spiral of me-firstism is no great shock. Still, even on one of Chad’s dumbest days, I’ll always have the inclination to put some of the blame on agent/egomaniac extraordinaire Drew Rosenhaus.â†µ

â†µâ†µRosenhaus has Johnson going through the same T.O. cycle. Just as thing immediately went downhill after the Super Bowl with Owens and the Eagles, the seed for this fall was planted after the only playoff appearance of Johnson’s career in Cincinnati when reports about a fight between Johnson and coaches hit the web.â†µ

â†µâ†µFrom there, we’ve seen everything but the “next question” press conference and the sit-ups in the driveway from Johnson. The bad-mouthing teammates, skipping workouts and general will to be a martyr that just makes you laugh knowing the guy is filthy rich.â†µ

â†µâ†µWhat players like Johnson, Owens and others will never understand is this: the bitching will get you where you want to be, but not nearly as quickly as shutting your mouth and being tactful behind the scenes.â†µ

â†µâ†µNow, with Johnson’s value degraded to an all-time low, the Bengals’ motivation to trade him has to be at an equally low point. They’d be selling for 10 cents on the dollar, and after watching how the Randy Moss deal panned out, do you think the Raiders would do it again?â†µ

â†µâ†µThe toughest part is this: Johnson is a great player and is in his prime. His production is unparalleled in Bengals history. But for all the offense he manufactures, he seems to bring as much chaos to the locker room.â†µ

â†µâ†µI have suffered through Ki-Jana Carter, David Klinger, Dan Wilkinson, the Brown family, the lack of a general manager, countless incompetent coaches and the devastating Carson Palmer knee injury in the playoffs. Still, yesterday might have been the saddest day as a Bengals fan for me. There’s nothing like knowing your season is over before it starts.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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