Chad Ochocinco participates in a 5 v 2 drill (far right, number 85).
It may still be a publicity stunt to some extent, but at least Chad Ochocinco is going whole hog with this one as he starts his four day trial with Sporting KC. The putative Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver is a long-time and well known soccer fan decided to take the opportunity to try out for a professional soccer team while the NFL has locked out its players in a pitched labor battle.
Taking the opportunity by the horns is also Sporting KC, which is providing thorough coverage on its twitter account, providing the picture in this post. The club has also set up www.Sporting85.com to follow Ochocinco’s tryout. Of course you have to register to get all of the inside access.
Oh man–thought the Sporting 85 thing was just a twitter meme. If he makes the cut, does anybody know MLS rules on the amount of bling a player’s allowed to wear on the pitch?
I want to know what MLS’ regulations on goal scoring celebrations are.
Oooh, good one TFA. Is MLS a No Sharpie League too? If he plays and scores against Chivas, would he get fined for taking the Chivas Girls’ pom pons?
Wrong reciever, OM. Owens pulled those.
I want to see Chad play golf with the corner flag.
@ Han-ball: Ah, my bad. I got my eccentric, mouthy wide receivers confused. Let’s hope he doesn’t try to snort something off the chalk lines like Maradona/or was that Michael Irvin?
Robbie Fowler.
Maybe he will change his name to Unouno or Unocero.
He’s a Reebok sponsored football player. I wonder if they’ll want him to wear Reebok cleats for soccer.
Part of me wants him to fail spectacularly just to hurt that incredibly stupid “our best athletes don’t play soccer, if they did we would dominate” argument.
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Part of me wants him to fail because he’s from Cinci.
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Part of me wants him to fail because he’s Chad Johnson.
Georger, the whole idea of having “our best athletes play soccer” is not that they could just switch sports and dominate right way, rather it’s that if those with the greatest athletic talent focused on soccer instead of basketball/football/baseball we would have a better USMNT. Frankly, I think that having more people play and focus on the game, including more of our best athletes could only help the soccer talent in this country. The question is whether the current soccer players are the best athletes for soccer is up for debate because athleticism does not necessarily transfer to all sports.
@Tno: Looks like he has Reebok cleats in his hand.
@Tno: Indeed, he does.
TNO would be the guy to notice that/shoe diva
I actually wore Reebok Integrity’s in college (back when they were kangaroo). Best soccer shoe I’ve ever owned.
Ahh yes those cleats CAN BE PUT IN THE OVEN SO YOU CAN FORM THEM TO YOUR FOOT! What kind of crazy shit is that?
@Georger: But he’s not Chad Johnson. He WAS Chad Johnson.
He did an interview with mlssoccer.com today, some fun quotes.
“One thing about this is, if I do make it, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka will be down here for a match when they have time, which gives me a little bit more motivation.”
Do you think those two are aware of this plan?
They also asked him about a possible goal celebration. He started his response with:
I don’t think I’ll be in position to score a goal…
That’s the kind of confidence you want in a striker!
“Do you think those two are aware of this plan?”
My understanding is that he’s friends with a lot of the world’s top players, yes.
@dan – you are correct, he is friends w/ many of them.
@georger – you are a bitter man. I’m impressed, but part of me wants to give you a hug anyway.
@TNO – well said re: georger’s panty twist.
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I’m torn on the issue b/c he would bring much-needed attention to the sport. If he plays poorly, it would be obviously a publicity stunt..and backfire. If he plays well (which would take time), there’s Theo+Carroll potential. Strong. Fast. and Tall. But he’s got Bendtners aim so it’s a double edged sword. He’s played his whole life. Still warms up with a soccer ball at the beginning of each NFL practice (says it helps his foot speed). And he loves the sport.
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He already has money. It’s an Un-American Dream (ahem). Pay him the league minimum, keep him in the reserves, run him out in the 80th every now and then. Sell a shitload of shirts. It would last what, a season? Then the NFL is back on, he’d leave for more money and it’s a win/win to get that club established. (A little WAG brain goes a long way).
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/yeah, yeah. i know…”and she means little.” Predictable…
@dan: Oh yeah, I know that he’s friends with a bunch of people. I just can’t see Ronaldo trekking to Kansas City in the summer though.
Though I’m sure it’s a lovely town.
@Wag
I love when you comment. You always reply to everyone. You give us all a cookie/gold star.
@Tno- Each of you is special…and kids on the short bus don’t get enough attention, apparently. So, that’s what I’m here for. (-;
Hey I fucking hate the Bengals, sorry bout it, didn’t realize this site didn’t allow people to not like sports teams.
@georger – wow. i didn’t know the threat of a hug would cause so much grief! I take it back! I promise, I won’t. It’s okay to hate the bengals. They suck. I never liked them…until recently, when I realized how bad they were…but “technically” there was a lot of talent on the team. They’re like a 3 legged dog – can’t help but feel bad for them and want them to succeed. No credit. No respect. Nothing.
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Sort of like Arsenal….///
I like Chad Ochocinco because he went to Oregon State and won a Fiesta Bowl with the Beavers.
@TFA – there are plenty of stories like it in the NFL, but his ‘life story’ speaks a lot to who he is. No dad. left to be raised by his grandma. First in family to go to college, and he busted his a** to provide a better life for his family and stay out of gangs/drugs/trouble. Going from the deep south to Oregon was a big deal. He did well there. All I’m saying – he may have the bravado/swagger necessary to be an “entertainer” on the field, but he’s a hell of a role model. (sure, he’s unmarried w/ 4 kids…but he doesn’t drink. is generous with his money, and is willing to work for what he earns). Did you see the Bengals Hard Knocks season? (that was the year they won their division). It was awesome. I blame ETH for making me a bengals fan….he’s from Cincy.
@ Wag: Growing up my childhood friend had a 3 legged dog–named Lucky. Had him for years, then Lucky had something happen to a 2nd leg and had to be put down. Poor Lucky.
@OM – there’s not a season that goes by when I’m coaching youth soccer with ETH that we don’t refer to our team as “the three legged dogs”. We don’t/won’t go to coaches meetings where they all fight for the best kids. Henceforth, we end up with the ADD dregs. They’re drooling morons, but at the end of it all, when we see they’re learned something and are proud of themselves, you know missing that extra leg isn’t holding them back….(too much).
What I like about him is that he’s one of the very few players willing to stand up to the NFL’s ridiculously authoritarian rules. Every time he’s fined, it’s because he’s trying to do something creative or funny. When he wore “Ochocinco” on the back of his jersey for warm-ups one game (not even during the game), the NFL fined him since that wasn’t his name. So he went whole hog, changed his name, just to give one middle finger to the NFL. Bra-vo.
@Draw – well said. Hadn’t considered it that way, but it’s true.
I loved Chad ever since I saw “In Their Own Words” on the NFL network. A great little documentary show following Chad through his time gearing up for the season with the Bengals. When I was a kid the Bengals were my favorite team, I think Chad is the best reason to like them now and I’m glad he’s doing this in the MLS.
Gives the MLS and Sporting KC some great press and we get to see what it would be like for a professional athlete from a different sport trying soccer. The only thing that would make this better is if Jerry Rice was 20 years younger and doing it.
As a Steelers fan I have one simple rule, Fuck the Bengals, Fuck the Browns, Fuck the Ravens, oh and Fuck the Ravens for being the Browns once.
Too bad he didn’t play soccer when at OSU; could have partnered Fast Robbie Findley up front.