Not only is Chad Ochocinco going to get judged by dancing on Dancing With The Stars, but he's also hosting a contest that you could win if you give Chad a Touchdown Celebration he could use after scoring a touchdown.
This is all you need to do: Think up a brilliant end-zone celebration – ideally, one you could picture Ochocinco performing – and submit it to NameDrop.com. Ten finalists will perform their dances at the kids-only NameDrop.Com Chad Ochocinco Football Camp, which takes place July 22-23 at Sycamore High School.
Finalists get an official Chad Ochocinco Camp T-shirt and an autographed Ochocinco jersey, and the winner receives an additional $500 – not to mention eternal bragging rights.
If anyone here submits, make sure you give us a few pictures of your dorky attempt at dancing to the Bee Gees.
My personal feelings on Chad Ochocinco has gone through the preverbal roller coaster. Like most of you, I'm a traditional football fan. I respected guys that worked hard, that played harder. But most importantly, I loved players that only had their name mentioned on game day. I'm big into that team first mentality and anything that seemed individual quickly wore on me, big time; if for no other reason than not really knowing how to deal with it.
But then Chad came along. Yea, the same Chad that went from Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco. Esteban? Sure. Great. He celebrates. He offers up guarantees, hangs a checklist of cornerbacks he'll beat in his locker and does a lot of things that focused on him. At first, I hated it. "Hey Chad, play football," I would yell at the television, even if it were turned off.. "Just give the damned ball to the damn referee, Chad." "Quit talking to the press about yourself on a Tuesday, Chad." Damn. He irritated me. But man, that guy can play ball. So I took the good. I took the bad. I took the facts...
I've always liked his personality. He's funny. Well liked. Unlike many who worked in a business that was monikered the No Fun League, Chad defied that by having fun. Sure, two offseasons ago, I was back to that annoyed fan that tired of Chad's media tour demanding to be traded. Then he displayed remorse, felt badly for what would turn out to be the ultimate embarrassment; but the humbling experience of a lifetime. I truly believe that last year was the best year we've seen of Chad. Yes, his numbers were down. But his blocking vastly improved and his team-first attitude wasn't just impressive -- it was damned awesome.
So I like Chad. Do I call him a leader? No, not yet. Based on what he did, maybe he could be exactly that. Maybe he already is. Because as outlandish as he is, he's always come across to me as reserved. He wouldn't talk about his leadership. He'll propose to cheerleaders (who wouldn't?), run naked through the woods (who wouldn't?) and become a social media addict who comes up with new words I have never heard before.
So what's your Chad story now? Do you get annoyed with his personality but accept it because of what he can do on the field? Or is your dislike for Chad too strong to care what he does on the field? Or do you like his antics as well as his play? Tell me your story.