"In many ways, the journey has been everything Chad Ochocinco had hoped and expected when he ditched his Bengals stripes for Patriots threads.

The mercurial wide receiver figured that with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in his corner, he just might get his first shot at winning a Super Bowl.

And he was right. He just didn't know the sacrifices it would take to get there, and that he would figure so little in the ride. That development hasn't been the easiest pill to swallow, especially for a guy who thrives on being in the spotlight and creating controversy.

During an exclusive interview with the Herald yesterday, Ochocinco talked about how he's been able to cope with a less than satisfying season and maintain his sanity, how he wouldn't trade what he's gotten out of this year for anything, and much more.

His best coping mechanism?

Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. That's right, two of the game's greatest all-time receivers have quietly served as a support group for Ochocinco, calling him almost daily, encouraging him, keeping his head up as he's struggled with the offense.

"For me, those guys were my outlets. Not Twitter," Ochocinco said. "To have those two guys in my corner, I talk to them all the time. (Moss) keeps me sane for 16 weeks, every week. Every week we talked. T.O., too. We're close-knit, us so-called diva receivers. Who is going to understand what I'm talking about, or going through, from my standpoint? Not Bill, not Tom. It's like having my own personal support group. I love those two, man. I didn't want to burden anyone else in here with that bull. They don't want to hear that.""