Chad calls out Lewis and threatens to sit in 2008

So if you're a player that's desperately housewiving his way off a team, then what's the next step after a trade-me tour simply appears like another cradled athlete complaining about their situation while worlds and worlds of people suffer more serious indignities?

Start calling out names. The first round included names that "had his back" against the Eye of Sauron during his Super Bowl trade-me campaign. Now, it's the muhaha Dr. Evil -- also known as, Marvin Lewis. See, now he's done it. By calling out Marvin Lewis and associating the word "betrayed", Chad Johnson has reached a level in which reconciliation is quickly becoming impossible. Let's not add that Chad Johnson has, in his way, betrayed Lewis by whining like a baby on the sidelines giving everyone an impression that Lewis is losing the team. Betrayal also includes the failure to listen to your coach with any level of respect by creating drama in the lockerroom against the Steelers in the 2005 playoffs and unsportsmanlike fouls for celebrations.

The second step is to threaten to sit out next season.

However much he threatens, he's playing pony games that many wide receivers lose clinging onto the hope they'll become the next Terrell Owens finding a situation that works only for him. Calling out names and threatening to sit for a full season, won't endear you towards the reality of fiscal promotions. Other teams that see this could use this as a reason to stay away from the sweepstakes for picking up a mediocre route router with an impressive consistency to step out of bounds well before the first down marker. The number of suitors that would constitute a "competetive team" drop. With this season's realization that you don't need a superstar running back or superstar tight end to get to the Super Bowl that caused as many distractions as points produced, Chad could become a victim rather than a savior.

A part of me wishes the team keeps Johnson and that Johnson decides to play -- which he obviously would. Instead of letting him play, force him to sit the season. Not only do you give off the impression that you in fact control the lockerroom, but it may help steam this epidemic that players think their fiscal inequalities are more important than the Feed the Children campaigns that you "fight for". Of course, that's just my evil homer nature to make a player eat their own words.

UPDATE: In a blog piece that reports this, Mark Curnutte says that the cap hit if Chad were traded would be $8.8 million.