Ocho-Stinko
Former Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson (again), now of the Dolphins, has established a desire to return to the flamboyant personality that made him one of the biggest names in the NFL during his lengthy tenure with the Bengals. In fact, he came out today as saying that he felt “controlled” in New England:
“I’m going back to my normal ways,” Johnson told the Miami Herald after a photo shoot for Zico Coconut Water. “My normal ways, when I was at my best, when I got fined, look at the production those years. Usually things don’t go right when you try to change the way you do things. I’m back to normal.
“My personality was controlled last year. You didn’t hear me at all last year. Zero. Zilch. When my mouth is running, it forces me to perform. It’s never been vindictive. I never got anybody in trouble. … When I can be me, I am loose. Everything just flows for me, whether it’s the style of play, the way I learn.”
Them’s fighting words, Chad, especially for a guy that called New England “heaven” when he landed here and talked about changing his personality of his own volition. If the Patriots asked you to shut up, sure, but let’s be real—Bill Belichick and Tom Brady know that it’s all about winning no matter what, and if running your mouth was your way of staying on top of your game, then you should have done it.
So farewell, Ocho. Have fun in Miami, with god-knows-who under center trying to figure out whether or not you’re going to actually run your routes on any given play. Have fun fighting with the Bills, your buddy Terrell Owens’ old team, for third place in the AFC East. We used to love you, but you don’t diss the Patriot Way just because you couldn’t make it yours. You could’ve gone against the team, done your thing, and fit into the system better because of it.
In the end, though, it’s your loss, not ours. I mean, unless Matt Moore, David Garrard, or Ryan Tannehill can get more out of you than Brady.
- Stache
