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Neil
I enjoy these columns and I rarely find content that I disagree with, but I have to say that I find Ochocinco entertaining. In a league where celebrations are virtually illegal (remember Welkers 15 yard flag for a snow angel in the end zone ?) I like the idea that someone is trying to provide some entertainment.
Of course his constant media cravings can be tiresome but you get the whole package with him, some good some bad.
His latest trash talk (wanting to fight the Chargers Shaun Merriman) is clearly a step too far but for a guy who is not trained in the art of media liaison there is a danger that he will occasionally make a stupid comment, as I say, you take the bad with the good.
I read somewhere once that the average person says 30,000 words a day, I think Ochocinco is the kind of guy that needs to say 130,000 words a day and mixed in amongst that will undoubtedly be some rubbish.
Did anyone else see his 90min internet phone in after the Tiger scandal broke ? theatrical madness !
As for Sundays game I agree this will be an absolute cracker and I like what San Diego is doing right now, they could win a tight one here.

You leave Ochocinco alone! The "bribe" of the official was hilarious, and Bungle fan or not, you gotta love his celebrations. And I'll give him this too - when has his showboating on field ever cost the Bungles a game? That's why he didn't put on a show in Minnesota, he didn't want to give away penalties that would cost his team; had he pulled in a game-winning TD pass, things might have been different...

One moment this season which sort of summed him up was when he took that head-shot from Ray Lewis (which probably did cost the Ravens that game), he bounced right up to go mano-a-mano with Lewis. He walks the walk, and he is much less of a disruptive influence than someone like Terrell Owens - Marvin Lewis figured this out, that's why they kept him this off-season when a lot of people thought he'd leave.

One other Bungle-related point - Chris Henry was in a car accident this week, and is fighting for his life. They'll all be pulling for him, and who knows, it might just inspire Palmer and co this weekend... still, you'd think the Chargers are too hot at the moment, I'd give them a 34-17 win.

Neil I have to say that yes 85 is a bit of a spoon but he's also great for the game! He may not appear all that professional 100% of the time but he's one of the best in the business at what he does and honestly appears to love the game, something that I think is all too rare in sports these days and undervalued to a huge degree. While he does appear to be a love/hate kind of character I think everyone would have to agree that the game is better off with people like Chad Ochocincho in it!

Hey Neil, Im with the others on this one. You need colourful characters in every sport or else it would just be a load of emotionless robots on the field. He clearly loves the game and this is his way of expressing it so im all for it. Look at Usain Bolt and his theatrics after winning races, it just adds to the whole spectacle.

Neil,

I am so compelled to comment that I signed up to comment just for this!

Whilst I love your blogs,very entertaining and well informed in this case I know it is your personal opinion but you are wrong.

85 is the most entertaining, if not the only entertaining character left in the NFL - No Fun League...

85 loves the game he plays, and he just wants to have fun; I think you will find when all is said and done with this particular blog that you are in the minority in your thinking.

As a long suffering Bengals fan as well, I will stand up for 85 more than most because he produces week in week out. If he pulled off these antics without producing numbers I may have another opinion but until he starts dropping passes and missing TD's he can do whatever he wants IMO.

Lastly, thoughts for Chris Henry as well, looks like he is in a bad bad way. Hope he makes a full recovery.

Just heard Chris Henry passed away. Sad day.

Just been reported on CBS that Henry has died today from the injuries he suffered.

Neil,

I'd like to first compliment you on the quality of your blogs. I have enjoyed them far more than the commentaries available here in the US, which are written to increase ratings on their respective networks instead of providing interesting thoughts.

First, I have to acknowledge the tragic death of Chris Henry at the age of 26. He seemed to be, finally, getting his life together. I hope that the team will rally around his memory and improve their own lives. It has been hard to be a Bengals fan this decade due to the team's behavior. This may be the final example necessary to turn them around.

I grew up 30 miles from the stadiums on the river and was a Reds season ticket holder from the ages of 13-18. I have been attending at least 3 Bengals games a year since 1988. Cincy fans are very different than other areas of the country. We are intensely loyal. Once a player plays for our teams, they are given unconditional support by the community. We still love Pete Rose for crying out loud! When players leave, we STILL love them. The baseball team has been terrible for the past 10 years, so many of our best players leave (because we are too poor to pay for them) – when they return playing for our rivals, they are cheered. We don't feel betrayed. Once the love is given, it can't be taken away.

Chad wanted to leave the team, and the fans still stood by him anyway. We love him not because of his mouth, but because he puts in blocks, runs the most precise routes, and has hands covered in glue. He doesn't rest on his talent. He plays hard and practices hard. The mouth is there more entertain himself than anything else. Contrary to his image and his book, he is no fool.When a game this season was in danger of dropping below the required ticket limit for it to be aired on local TV, Chad stepped in and got his sponsor to buy some tickets to give away. He's a good man. He's never done anything really distracting. No DUIs, no domestic violence, no carrying illegal firearms, nothing that is a REAL distraction in the NFL. The press is fairly infantile in their treatment of Chad. He doesn't cross the real lines. He pushes at boundaries that don't really matter (like wearing the wrong color chin straps). The press complains about Chad to build ratings. Talking about the real problems would only hurt ratings.

One last thought on the Bengals – Just because they run a lot this year, doesn't mean Carson Palmer can't gunsling with the best of them. The team knows how to play a no huddle spread, because they did it for years, and even had success in the only recent year without horrible injury problems. The team was built this year to beat the Steelers and the Ravens. And the defense did it! If we had one more high quality WR (which was Chris Henry), the Bengals would be a bigger threat downfield. I expect that to be a draft priority in the third or fourth round.

Neil, I guess I understand if covering the game for a living means you get a bit tired of a showboater like Ochocinco.

But for us schlups who are fans only, the guy is tremendous. It's quite fair to put a question mark against the guys who are a disruptive influence in their teams, but Ochocinco is not that.

Neil - congratulations on an 'am' post after covering last nights game.
I've got to say the Jags impressed me with the exception of cracking when they needed a final drive - I guess this is what makes the Mannings and Bradys stand above the rest.
Overall a good game, but of course after the terrible news on Chris Henry football takes a back seat

R.I.P. Chris Henry. But about "85", the guy is easily the most entertaining man in the nfl. As a steelers fan i look forward to the annual double against the bungles, just to see who OchoCinco is going to irritate during the week.

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