Last year, Chad Johnson who wears No. 85 decided to start calling himself "Ochocinco." He even tried to put in on the back of his jersey, but teammate and Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer ripped it off the back of his jersey just before the kickoff of a game against the Atlanta Falcons. The NFL fined Johnson $5,000 for the stunt because it was not his legal name.
So, like most people Johnson just moved on and forgot about the new title, right? Wrong. Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco, thus allowing him under NFL rules to wear his new moniker on the back of his jersey this season. This was just one stunt of many that Johnson - I mean Ochocinco - has pulled off since entering the league.
Off the field, Ochocinco has done a phenomenal job of branding himself as an individual through social media. He is a very active member of the Twitter community, has his own website, appears on interactive shows such as ESPN's First and 10 and much more.
So now that you have a little background information on Chad Ochocinco, his recent activities might make a little more sense.
After a disappointing loss last week to the Houston Texans, Ochocinco woke up bright and early Monday morning not to start preparing for the Bengals' upcoming game but instead to start a Twitter-ment with the Chicago Bears.
It's actually pretty entertaining and gives fans something to talk about all week. It puts Ochocinco in the spotlight when he has really done nothing to deserve it. You might call him dumb for motivating the other team, but I'd call him brilliant for finding a new use of Twitter and bringing attention to himself and his products. Yes, Ochocinco does have plenty of merchandise for you to purchase at his online store.
In the past, players have been misquoted in the media on many occasions or just simply said something dumb creating bulletin board material for their opponents. Then, they have backtracked on their comments or denied them outright. With the help of Twitter, fans can see EXACTLY what athletes are saying - giving them no excuses for their comments. Twitter allows fans to see the comments and responses from one player to another, and I personally love it. It humanizes the players even more (yes, they are obviously humans making that statement ironic, but sometimes "normal Joes" turn celebrities into iconic figures which makes them seem more important than the rest of the world).
Just check out the links I've provided and make your own decision. See how you feel about the "Twitter-ment" that Ochocinco decided to start on Monday.
This guy cracks me up! I actually looked him up last week after he came up in several random conversations. My only problem with such personal branding is that it takes the focus away from the team and puts it on the individual. Although, I did love TO, and this guy definitely peaks my interest. I guess in a sport where you can easily be traded, it pays to make a name for yourself and create a loyal following.
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