Mike Florio weighs in on Chad's new moniker and the bad precedent he believes it could cause.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=453997Over the years, plenty of athletes have changed their names. Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bobby Moore became Ahmad Rashad. London Fletcher became London Fletcher-Baker. And then became London Fletcher again. O.J. Simpson became
O.J. Simpson.
But the latest moniker adjustment by a pro athlete has set a troubling precedent. Chad Johnson didn't change his name for religious reasons or family reasons or any other reason unrelated to making money, glorifying his own ego, and/or making money. Plain and simple, Chad wants to be the ultimate showman. He turned his back on his given name, all in the name of making people look at him, talk about him, and buy stuff that says "Ocho Cinco" on it.
Initially, the Bengals hesitated to embrace the name change. The talk in league circles, however, is that the organization recently decided it will no longer try to protect Chad from himself.
And so the team announced on Thursday that Chad Johnson is and will be forever known as Chad Ocho Cinco. (Until he changes his mind again.)
The reason for recognizing the change is simple--Chad obtained a piece of paper from a judge in Florida acknowledging that this now is Chad's name.
The de facto rule, then, is in place. If any player shows up with a piece of paper from a judge in Florida (or any other state) that says the player has a new name, then he has a new name.
So when will Nike, which has to eyeball Reebok logos on every NFL jersey, offer a high-profile player $10 million to change his name to "Nike" or "Swoosh" or "Reebok Sucks"? In a sport with only a small and discreet corporate presence on player uniforms, it could be open season.
In time, we could have Vikings running back Adrian Peterbilt. Or 49ers quarterback J.T. O'Budweiser. Or Saints tight end Jeremy Jack Link's Beef Jerky.
They're extreme examples, but no more extreme than a guy legally changing his name to that of his tongue-in-cheek alter ego.
The problem, however, is that the league and the Bengals had no choice but to recognize the man's lawful name. With collective bargaining agreement negotiations on the horizon, the NFL needs to add to its wish list a provision that allows the league to reject a proposed name change if it appears the change arises from motivations not religious or familial in nature.
Maybe the union will balk, but does the union benefit from a player retaining the right to make a mockery of himself, and in turn of the game? Sure, some people get a kick out of Chad's antics, but the NFL has embarked into territory that can create all sorts of strange consequences.
And for that to happen, all it takes is a few more eccentrics like Chad Javon Ocho Cinco.
Wait a minute. Maybe they shouldn't close this loophole. If, after all, my son ever plays in the NFL, I can change the family name to Profootballtalkdotcom.
