Today, Chad Ochocinco was fined $20,000 for ”bribing” an official with a one dollar bill during last weekend’s game against the Ravens. Technically what the league is doing is correct, as there are specific rules in the rulebook that speak against, ”possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform during the game on the field or sideline.” That, of course, includes the one dollar bill that Ochocinco was holding. Another reason that the NFL was annoyed with Chad was because he referred to his stunt as a ”bribe.” Obviously he was kidding when he mentioned the word ”bribe,” but the league does not take things like bribing and gambling lightly.
Now, I totally understand why the league felt the need to fine him. In more than one way, Chad was out of line with his actions, and he should pay (pun intended) for not thinking things through. However, I do not really see the point. Chad is a guy who clearly likes to have fun with the game he plays, and he does not seem to be phased by the fines he receives as a consequence. The fact that we are still talking about Chad Ochocinco and his antics, shows that he is not learning anything from his punishments. In fact, I bet you that Ochocinco finds ways to profit on his public displays of humor. Every time he does something out of line or controversial, it blows up on Sportscenter and other sports news mediums. That right there, is exactly what Chad wants.
What is $20,000 to Chad if he is getting his much-needed attention that he craves? As long as Chad can express himself in his many unique ways, on a public forum, he does not care if he is getting fined.
So yes, the league, based on the rulebook, has to fine him time and time again for his actions, but I feel that it is not accomplishing anything from a punishment standpoint. If the league truly wanted Chad to stop, which I believe that they really don’t because of the hype he brings to the league, they would use a more effective way of punishing him. A suspension, for instance, would definitely make Chad think twice before doing something controversial because he would lose his chance to entertain a huge audience. However, the league would never risk doing that because of the amount of fans who simply watch football to see guys like Ochocinco ”do their thing.”
At the end of the day, the league needs to fine Ochocinco to be fair, but believe me, they don’t want him to stop his ”games” anytime soon.
dude, I love your pictures! so friggin hilarious!!
Thanks alot, I’ve been working hard on them, so it’s nice to hear that.