Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco regards the NFL’s fine schedule like he rest of us regard parking tickets. We do the crime, we pay the fine, and we don’t hesitate to do it again in the future, if necessary.
But there’s possibly a difference. Though the $5 charge typically remains constant no matter how many times we malnourish a meter, the NFL presumably doesn’t appreciate the intentional and deliberate flouting of its rules. Indeed, the 2009 NFL fine schedule points out that the “[f]ines listed are minimums unless otherwise specified,” and that “[o]ther forms of discipline, including higher fines, suspension and banishment may also be imposed, based on the circumstances of the particular violation.”
In Ochocinco’s case, the NFL could decide that the time has come to send a message. He has boasted in the past that he budgeted money at the start of the season to pay his various fines, and he declared via Twitter earlier today an intention to celebrate a touchdown in a fine-worthy manner.
And a fine likely will be coming. Per NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, the rule against “foreign or extraneous objects” applies on the field and on the sideline. (Aiello also tells us that Ochocinco was indeed fined for wearing a phony Hall of Fame jacket in September 2007.)
The bigger question is whether the league office decides to show Chad that the fine schedule shouldn’t be viewed as a cost of doing business, and that a chronic failure to comply will trigger a fine that will prompt him to fully comply in the future.
Or maybe the No Fun League is willing to let players have their fun, as long as they’re willing to pay the freight.
Does it on the sidelines and the broadcasters hardly noticed it. If they were going to hit him hard they would have done so with his “bribe” attempt.
Ocho’s the shit.
¡VIVA OCHO CINCO!
he’s an ass.
Ochocinco’s a retard! What a loser.
Maybe they’ll finally serve this attention hound the fine he deserves.
Hall of Fame my ass, how long did it take the “attention monger” Michael Irvin to get his jacket ???
At least Irvin has a couple rings . . . .
frankly the NFL are pathetic if they fine him for messing about on the sideline. Who really cares? well apart from people like you who get so angry about it they get hard
I like how you make the non-HOF statement for Ochocinco, and after being challenged by a few posters, you refuse to clarify your statements and make an argument for it. That’s weak, and frankly, so ESPN of you.
You are the one bringing attention to it with this campaign against Chad, Florio. Now you’re calling up the NFL to make sure they didn’t miss it. Maybe he should sue your sorry ass for harassment.
He’s good for the sport. There’s a difference between having fun like he does and being a whiny brat like TO.
Is the problem that there are no ponchos or sombreros with the NFL-approved hologram tag, or that he wore them after a touchdown?
Either way, it’s splitting hairs.
Let him do his celebrations and pay the fines.
The reality is he’s not harming anyone. He’s just trying to be an entertainer. I for one am appreciative of this. I miss the days when the entire team used to do choreographed stuff in the endzones. The NFL is trying to make it no fun. Let him do his things and pay the fines. The NFL makes money. Ochocinco doens’t harm anyone. We all get entertained.
Everyone wins….. Except Chad’s bank account.
This is ridiculous who does the buracracy of white people think they are?
Roger Goodell? Does he think he owns football?
You see the kind of cool stuff they used to do in the 80s…
If anything Chad is trying to pump up his team and get things rolling, TOUCHDOWN’S ARE HUGE AND HOW YOU WIN GAMES!!!
GO CELEBRATE THEM!!!
HE’S OBVIOUSLY NOT CELEBRATING WHEN HE SCORES AND HIS TEAM IS GETTING BLOWN OUT.
SCREW RG, WHO IS HE?
What i hate about the fines in football is this. THE NFL LIKES WHAT HE DOES. They complain about it and fine him all the time for his antics. But what is lead in for the NFL network highlight show. That would be Chad. The double standard has to stop. You cant fine players and then use what you fine them for to advertise for your league its unfair.