Whether you think Chad Johnson is a total genius or a complete idiot, the fact of the matter is that it's pretty tough to ignore the guy. And now, it'll be downright impossible.
In a move that I never thought would actually happen, and I'm sure pisses off Dictator Goodell to no end, Chad Johnson has officially changed his last name to "Ocho Cinco" in order to get the moniker on his jersey.
Regardless of how big a distraction this will be, and it will be for at least a period of time, I love it. The NFL has long had a policy that refuses to embrace the individuality of its players, instead wanting them to be faceless cogs in the wheel. Quite frankly, it usually takes someone as nuts as Chad Ocho Cinco to break that mold.
So, what will Goodell do? The league's policy is to have the last name of a player on his jersey. So, in all honesty, Goodell really can't do anything here. If he forces Ocho Cinco to wear Johnson, you better believe Chad will take this up with the Players Union. And he'd have every right to do that.
In all liklihood, Goodell will probably find some way to force the Bengals to change Ocho's jersey number or make Chad "disappear." After all, we all know the last thing Goodell wants is players running around with monikers like "Your Mama" and "Goodell Sucks" on their backs.
Of course, the real question is where will this jersey rank in the pantheon of great jerseys? I don't know, but it'll be up there. However, I still don't think it's better than Rod Smart's jersey. That one may never be topped.
Johnson, Bengals getting more zany? [ESPN]
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