Ocho Cinco

Today CBS Sportsline made an announcement: "As of Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008, Chad Johnson will become Chad Ocho Cinco in the player pool."

I love it. I think this Ocho Cinco thing is hilarious. Some of the too serious commentators have said his act is getting old, but what's old about an NFL player actually changing his name - legally - to get a laugh?

Years ago, I can recall being shocked to learn that my dad was a fan of Dennis Rodman. It was well known in my family that my dad despised Chicago sports "hero" Jim McMahon for his antics, and on the surface Rodman seemed a similar distraction. But there was a key difference. McMahon, with his Adidas side deal, had undermined the basic financial system upon which the NFL - and the associated wealth of its players - was based. Rodman was crazy, but he brought more attention to his team and his league. After all, sports are entertainment businesses. And importantly, Rodman delivered on the court.

(It was later that I would learn Rodman has a taste for fast powerboats, but I think that's beside the point).

Chad Ocho Cinco is an entertainer, and he delivers on the field. Despite some offseason contract complaints, he's likely to play through this season in pain. And tomorrow I'll have a good laugh as I watch him trot out with "Ocho Cinco" permanently stitched to the back of his uniform.

One hope I have is that columnists and commentators quit using the situation to show off the deep bilingual skills they developed while half paying attention to their eighth grade Spanish teachers. Yeah, we all know that "Eighty-five" would literally translate to "Ochenta y cinco." He's not saying eighty-five. He's saying eight-five. Ok, Nancy?

At least she picked the Raiders.