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Now he joined the NFL after or just before I stopped watching the NFL so I don't know anything about the guy, other than he changed his name from Johnson to Ochocinco. However, reading an article on him in the local paper (the Vikings are apparently playing Cincinnati next) I can unquestionably say I'm a fan of him.
Reading about the things he's been fined for and seeing some of the things on Youtube you can count me as a fan of him. He might now be my favorite "professional" player, especially since (sadly) the way "professional" now is considered to be, he wouldn't be considered as being "professional". He is a player that puts the fun back into the game. Of course him being my favorite "professional" athlete doesn't mean much, because as I said I don't watch the NFL. Players like Ochocinco sadly are few and far between these days but luckily there's still some of them around (Manny Ramirez, etc).
I'd like to udder the phrase "No Fun League", but really all the "professional" leagues are the same way. It's polite society at their worst. The paper had it right "Chad Ochocinco remains forever a happy-go-lucky free spirit in a button-down league that demands conformity". That's the way "professional" sports have become and really what society is. The leagues are all about conformity from the way players and coaches even fans should be. The fact is that almost everything that isn't very, very, very polite gets a fine and even costs you a game (Serena Williams losing a point because she argued with an official, hello!).
Now the leagues can make any silly rule they want (especially when it comes to the NHL, apparently they intend to) but I love the fact that Ochocinco apparently sets aside money for fines because he intends to break rules. If he eventually gets suspended for doing that and then keeps doing it he just might be in the running for one of my favorite players ever.
I'm certainly one who says the officials get too much blame, but then again I don't think the players and coaches should get fined for arguing with the refs, making comments about the officiating in news conferences, or anything to that matter. If someone wants to blame a ref on them losing a game (nevermind that in the case of the NHL a game is 60 minutes long and they're blaming the ref for one moment in time) than that's their business, they shouldn't be fined for that.
Link: http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/78925377.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU
