Chad Ochocinco News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

February 6

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Hours after playing in Sunday's Super Bowl, Chad Ochocinco was in Hamilton County court to plead guilty to a charge stemming from driving with a suspended license. Ochocinco, whose name was listed as Johnson in the tickets and court case stemming from the July 21 incident, originally was charged with driving with a suspended license and window tint violation. He was driving a 2004 Mercury at 10:40 a.m. in the 2100 block of Fulton Avenue in Walnut Hills when police pulled his vehicle over."

Ochocinco makes do with no seat at head table

February 1

Boston Herald

"Media day at the Super Bowl was made for flamboyant players such as Chad Ochocinco. Have a big year in leading the team to the Super Bowl, then relish the hour spent on the podium, answering questions ranging from football to marriage proposals to joining Major League Soccer. Ochocinco experienced none of that joy yesterday. While Tom Brady, Wes Welker and 16 other players and coaches were granted podium status, the Patriots wide receiver was relegated to the sideline alongside such household names as Matt Kopa, Mike Rivera and Aaron Lavarias"

Few grabs, no regrets

January 28

Boston Herald

"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"

Ochocinco breaks his silence

January 28

New York Post

"Chad Ochocinco was inactive last week, doesn't have a catch in the playoffs and has been pretty much a big-name flop in his first season with the Patriots. Ochocinco also has been uncharacteristically quiet with the New England media all season before finally opening up to the Boston Herald yesterday to say he has no regrets about talking his way out of Cincinnati and becoming invisible as a Patriot. "No, there's no bittersweetness," he told the paper. "There's a competitive side to me that is angry, the competitive nature in me that it didn't go the way it normally has. I routinely produce a certain way every year. So when that routine goes astray like it did this year, it feels funny."

Ochocinco flies out for funeral

January 22

Boston Herald

"Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco took yesterday off from preparing for today's AFC Championship Game against the Ravens, spending the day in Florida. Ochocinco attended the funeral of his father, according to a source close to the player, and he planned to return in time for the game at Gillette Stadium. Ochocinco was spotted at Logan Airport at around 6 p.m. on Friday. It was not clear whether Ochocinco was to come back last night or this morning. Ochocinco spoke on a weekly basis with his father before he died earlier last week. They were not close. Ochocinco tweeted earlier in the week, "Please send your prayers and condolences to my older and youngest brothers. Our father passed this"

Ochocinco flew to Florida Friday night

January 21

CSN New England

"Chad Ochocinco boarded a plane Friday night bound for Fort Lauderdale. A league source confirmed that Ochocinco has left town. Comcast SportsNet New England has not yet learned whether the wide receiver will be available for Sunday's AFC Championship game. A Patriots source believed Ocho may have left because of a recent death in the family. The wide receiver tweeted Monday asking for prayers to be said for his "oldest and youngest" brothers. He added, "Our father passed this morning.""

No.?85 catches up

December 21

Boston Herald

"Chad Ochocinco broke out with his first touchdown pass as a member of the Patriots on Sunday. He broke his media silence two days later. Speaking publicly for the first time in roughly two months, the mercurial receiver told the Herald yesterday, "It was cool" to reel in the 33-yard bomb from quarterback Tom Brady in the win in Denver against the Broncos. Yet when asked if the experience helped him cope with a disappointing year, Ochocinco wanted to correct that line of thinking. "The year's been great," said Ochocinco, who filled in for an injured Deion Branch against the Broncos. "We're 11-3. That's it. Everyone continues to look at it from an individual standpoint. I embrace the role I"

Chad Ochocinco gives his tips for Twitter

December 14

Boston Herald

""Twitter is awesome," Patriots star Chad Ochocinco, a self-crowned social media guru with 3 million-plus Twitter followers, told Hub college students last night. The Herald sat in on his guest lecture as part of Emerson College Professor David Gerzof Richard's Social Media Class, where Ochocinco discussed the impact Twitter and other online communications have had on his career. He offered his audience five tips to rock Twitter on their own: • Be inventive: "I'm creative and, because of the way I am, I've been able to get the following I have." • Don't censor yourself: "I curse in my feed. I can express myself in ways other athletes can't, and so I can relate to everybody." • Use it as a"

Chung, McCourty, Ochocinco out against Eagles

November 27

Boston Herald

"Chad Ochocinco's trying 2011 season hit another roadblock. The Patriots mercurial wide receiver, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the week, was officially ruled out yesterday for today's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Cincinnati Bengals star has been a disappointment after a high-profile free agent signing, and this was another frustrating situation in a frustrating season. In addition, the team will be without three other starters — cornerback Devin McCourty (shoulder), safety Patrick Chung (foot), and center Dan Connolly (groin). McCourty will likely be replaced by Antwaun Molden, Sterling Moore will once again fill in for Chung and Ryan Wendell will step in"

Ochocinco injury latest to hamstring WRs

November 26

Boston Herald

"Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco's topsy-turvy 2011 season suffered another blow yesterday, as he missed the Patriots' final tune-up for the Eagles. Ochocinco was battling issues with his hamstring, according to the team's injury report, and he is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game in Philadelphia. Considering fellow receiver Deion Branch also was limited with a hip injury, the Patriots suddenly have depth issues at the position. Ochocinco, who has just 11 catches for 201 yards this season, has declined interview requests. This week, quarterback Tom Brady stressed the need for greater contributions from the team's outside receivers. His coaches simply wanted a steadier effort against"

Chad goes 0-for-cinco

November 7

Boston Herald

"Eight games into the season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Chad Ochocinco still aren't on the same page. The mercurial receiver saw the most action he's seen this year, yet he finished with no catches on five targets from Brady. Nonetheless, even after the 24-20 loss to the Giants at Gillette Stadium, Ochocinco was hopeful and upbeat, despite being down about the loss. "It was fun, I enjoyed it," Ochocinco told the Herald in his first comments in more than a month. "That's about it. Everything is there. Everything is there.""

Patriots expressing confidence in receiver Ochocinco

October 18

Boston Globe

"After yesterday, this much is clear: The Patriots are in full public support of receiver Chad Ochocinco. From Tom Brady's comments during a radio appearance, to offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien's words, to a conference call with director of player personnel Nick Caserio, all parties threw their support behind Ochocinco, despite the veteran being on the field for just seven plays in Sunday's 20-16 win over Dallas."

Chad Ochocinco receives support of team

October 18

Boston Herald

"For the first time since the end of the 2009 season, Chad Ochocinco recorded no catches in a game, participating in fewer than 10 plays during the Patriots' 20-16 win against the Cowboys on Sunday. With the trade deadline today, and with the bye week a chance for teams to take stock of themselves, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and director of player personnel Nick Caserio were hit with several questions regarding Ochocinco. The result was unflinching support of the receiver, who already has received most of his $6 million salary. "We're happy with what Chad's done for us," Caserio said. "He's probably one of our best practice players. He goes out there, he works hard,"

Time to question Ochocinco's play

September 29

Boston Herald

"The fit was supposed to be a good one and yet, when it comes to Chad Ochocinco, the eye test tells you: square peg in a round hole. That's how it's been eight weeks into a ride Ochocinco first described as heaven but now might fall into a different category. Naturally, all kinds of theories have been floated trying to explain why the wide receiver just can't blend into the Patriots offense and get with the program. Initially, the NFL veteran was cut some slack because he wasn't afforded the usual offseason camps to learn the system and get on the same page with quarterback Tom Brady. After all, this isn't the kind of offense you can just pick up overnight; it's not what you would call a"

Chad Ochocinco's grasp limited

September 26

Boston Herald

"Chad Ochocinco quietly dressed at his locker, his face filled with the emotion of a roller-coaster day. The Patriots receiver was a large part of the team's offensive game plan, finally, with the task of filling the void left by injured tight end Aaron Hernandez. Yet he also had a drop on a sure-touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 34-31 loss to the Bills, a symbol of his tough start. "It just got away from me," Ochocinco said away from the media throng. Ochocinco finished with two catches for 24 yards on a day that saw the Patriots have 387 yards in the air. One of the four passes quarterback Tom Brady [stats] sent his way was picked off by cornerback Leodis McKelvin in the third"

Ocho struggling in Patriots' offense

September 18

Foxsports.com

"Besides his three Super Bowl rings, what makes the Patriots' Bill Belichick such an interesting coach is that he's willing to roll the dice with players a lot of others wouldn't touch. He got great seasons out of Corey Dillon and Randy Moss, just to name two. This season's experiments are Albert Haynesworth, who is not as great as we thought he was, and Chad Ochocinco, who once fashioned his own Hall of Fame jacket on the sidelines in another of his celebration acts. You know — hey, look at me. I'm great! Well, this is Ochocinco's 11th year in the NFL, and only he knows for sure how many years he has lined up as a receiver in the game of football."

Bengals enjoy peace and quiet without Ochocinco, Owens

September 15

Cincinnati Enquirer

"No names were dropped but it wasn't too hard to figure out who running back Cedric Benson and left tackle Andrew Whitworth had in mind when asked Wednesday about some of the differences between last year's offense and this year's version. It might be only one game into the season, but the absence of high-profile wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens on the team doesn't bother Benson or Whitworth. "Sad to say, as much as I love you guys (media), sometimes stars are born from y'all, not necessarily success on the football field," he said. "Some guys run their mouths a lot or say a lot of things so they get a lot of attention. It doesn't mean they always play football the way it is"

Open receiver

September 12

Boston Globe

"It was the call Chad Ochocinco had been longing to receive for at least three years. When it finally came, it brought him to tears. It was early on the morning of July 26 when agent Drew Rosenhaus rustled Ochocinco from his sleep with the news that he had been traded."

Did Bill Belichick tell Ochocinco to give Twitter a rest??

September 12

Boston Herald

"As you can see, we have resumed our "Tweet of the Day" from Chad Ochocinco. It was touch 'n' go there for a while when 85, the man we've come to know as a social networking fiend, abruptly fled the Twitterverse on Sept. 6. Some say it was all part of his quest for focus before tonight's Patriots-Dolphins season opener in Miami. Others say coach Bill Belichick told him to cut it out. The last missive from the Pats' new wide receiver before he went MIA was "No Sabes Como Duele," a tune by Marc Anthony, aka the soon-to-be-ex Mr. JLo. And that won't surprise anyone who follows Chad Johnson's alter ego on Twitter, because the man's got an eclectic taste in music!"

Ochocinco goes deep about past, new situation with Patriots

September 11

Boston Globe

"It was the call Chad Ochocinco had been longing to receive for at least three years. When it finally came, it brought him to tears. It was early on the morning of July 26 when agent Drew Rosenhaus rustled Ochocinco from his sleep with the news that he had been traded. To New England. "The tears went to flowing,'' said Ochocinco. "I was free. I was free. And on top of that, look at where I'm going.''"

Ochocinco is confident he will catch on quickly

August 31

Boston Globe

"Chad Ochocinco knows he's going to be scrutinized. The wide receiver knows he's going to get an earful from Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Bill O'Brien as he works to learn the Patriots' offense. He knows he'll be judged by media and fans, who may think he is struggling to assimilate himself into a new system after a decade in Cincinnati. And to everyone, he says: Bring it on. He wants the criticism from Brady and the coaches, and knows fans and reporters will have their opinions. Ochocinco is harder on himself. "I'm just nowhere near where I want to be. I'm my biggest critic anyway,'' he said yesterday. "Regardless of what you write, what you guys see - I'm the first to judge myself. I'm"

Ochocinco has lost himself in translation

August 31

Boston Globe

columnist Christopher L. Gasper

""I'm going to be a little quiet. You won't get the same Chad you're used to. …" – Chad Ochocinco on July 30, 2011. Chad Ochocinco uttered those words exactly a month ago today in his introductory press conference as a Patriot, the one he ended with a group hug. Yet, it is the Patriot Way, the austere, individuality-snuffing code of conduct in Fort Foxborough, that is squeezing the football life out of the flamboyant and free-spirited wide receiver. Thus, Ochocinco's words now ring true now for all the wrong reasons. He hasn't been the same Chad, on or off the field. Ochocinco has looked out of synch and out of sorts in a Patriot uniform. He has appeared unnatural in interviews, like an"

For Ochocinco, knowledge is power

August 31

Boston Herald

"Chad Ochocinco has been with Tom Brady a little more than a month. He's had the playbook in his hands and has watched countless game films to get a better idea of how the offense operates. He's worked his tail off. And yet, it still doesn't seem like he's getting it when you've watched him during preseason games. He's not comfortable doing the one thing he does best: running routes. He's tense and tight, a crippling description for any receiver. At his locker yesterday, Ochocinco struck a more optimistic tone than the previous week, saying he was getting better, but still offered words of caution. "I think it's my third week. Let's be realistic," he said. "It's the highest levels of"

Ochocinco: I'm my biggest critic

August 31

Boston Herald

"Chad Ochocinco said he's "heard small little rumblings" that he hasn't caught on with the offense. With that in mind, the wideout addressed his early troubles and talked about the difficulties of learning the offense on the fly. He talked about a number of other topics as well, including living with a fan, which looks like that might be shelved for now. So let's get to some of best of the Ocho session: On how the transition is going: "The transition has been good. It's been fun. I've heard small little rumblings I haven't caught on yet, but I'm just fine. I'm not sure why, or how it is. But you have to think of, coming from any place where you've been someplace for 10 years, to come here"

Tom Brady talks Belichick, Ocho, and paparazzi

August 25

Boston Globe

"Tom Brady just wrapped his weekly interview on Boston sports radio WEEI and as usual was asked about a number of topics (admittedly a certain reporter may have missed the first couple of questions because she may have forgotten what time it was starting...but here's a sample): On an NFC executive's claim that Bill Belichick "isn't screwing around" this year and the Patriots will dictate things, not be reactive: "I mean, he's one of the most consistent people I've been around in my life…what you see from him on a daily basis, you're always seeing the same thing, win, lose or draw. When we win, he says 'this is what we did well, we need to continue to do this well' and when we lose, he says"

Ochocinco Offers to Pay $20,000 NFL Fine Handed to Rookie for Hit on Him

August 25

Bloomberg

"New England's Chad Ochocinco offered to pay the $20,000 fine levied by the National Football League against Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Mason Foster for a helmet hit during a preseason game. Foster was breaking up a pass play to Ochocinco when he appeared to hit the Patriots wide receiver in the helmet with his shoulder and elbow during the Bucs' 31-14 preseason loss on Aug. 18. "It's a lot, but it's all good," Foster told the Tampa Tribune when he learned of the fine yesterday. "I'll pay it and keep on going. It won't change the way I play. ''I'm going to keep playing football the way I know how to play football," Foster, who earned a reputation as a hard hitter at the University of"

Chad Ochocinco takes it all in

August 24

Boston Herald

columnist Ian R. Rapoport

"Chad Ochocinco doesn't want to look at cut-ups. He doesn't want to study film of sharply edited plays that only present snippets of game action. The new Patriots [team stats] receiver wants the whole package. With hopes of accelerating the acclimation process to quarterback Tom Brady [stats]'s offense, Ochocinco has been studying. "Just a little homework, that's all," Ochocinco said. It's the expectation that he's working overtime. What's noteworthy is how he's watching film. Ochocinco had last year's games recorded on a loop, including the dead time between plays. He sees it all. "I like to watch everything as a whole," Ochocinco told the Herald by his locker yesterday. "Unless I need"

Chad Ochocinco to Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Mason Foster: 'Great hit'

August 20

St. Petersburg Times

"When Bucs MLB Mason Foster decked Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco with a forearm and shoulder to the head and neck, drawing a personal foul, Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris got over it. So, too, did Ochocinco. A day after the violent hit in the Bucs' 31-14 preseason loss - a hit that might result in Foster being fined under the NFL's more stringent player-safety guidelines - Ochocinco gave Foster a virtual pat on the back for the play via Twitter. Friday, Ochocinco posted on his Twitter account: "@Mason_Foster great hit last night. if u're fined I'll reimburse u boss. That's the way the game should b played. Stay healthy n have a good yr" (sic). In the first-quarter play, Foster was flagged"

Steadily, Ochocinco catches on

August 19

Boston Globe

"Chad Ochocinco wasn't going anywhere as he listened to Bill Belichick run through a range of information on the sideline of Raymond James Stadium last night. The receiver stood and listened, paying attention to every detail. After 10 seasons in the NFL, Ochocinco said he needs coaching now more than ever. The once-flashy receiver says he feels like he is starting over and he wasn't satisfied with his preseason debut as a member of the Patriots last night. Ochocinco caught two passes for 14 yards and one touchdown in the Patriots' 31-14 victory over the Buccaneers. Instead of preparing a celebration dance for his first touchdown, he is thinking about terminology and the rhythm of the"

Report: Pats may cut Chad before season starts

August 15

Cincinnati Enquirer

"In its Sunday Blitz column, National Football Post reports that a source believes the Patriots will cut Chad Ochocinco and/or Albert Haynesworth before the season starts. From the column: Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth might not be long for New England. One day before this story came out by my guy Mike Reiss, one NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts. The front office man thinks coach Bill Belichick will use the controversial players to help control and send a message to his locker room. As far as the "this story" to which NFP's Dan Pompei refers above: Here's the link to"

New stage and audience for Ochocinco's show

August 14

Providence Journal

columnist Bill Reynolds

"He arrives here with trumpets blowing. He arrives here with his catchy name, and his showy game, arrives here with a personality as big as his talent. He also arrives here with a certain reputation, one of those stars-in-his-own-movie types, the kind of guy who fans love and coaches seem to grow weary of, whether it was his gold Mohawk haircut, his gold tooth, his nude photo shoot for a magazine, or just about anything else to call attention to himself. He's already said he's looking for a fan to perhaps live with this year, and appears to take to New England the way Shaq did, out and about, see and be seen. But who is Chad Ochocinco anyway? Not that we're probably going to find that out"

'One or both' of Ocho, Haynesworth to get cut?

August 14

CBSSports.com

"Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco are now Patriots. This is because, we're all told and we all believe, Bill Belichick is a genius, capable of controlling anyone that enters his locker room and turning a malcontent into a productive player. But Dan Pompei, writing at the National Football Post, says that the Patriots may have other ideas, and that he was told last week that "one or both" of the dynamic duo could be cut before the season begins. "One NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts," Pompei writes. "The front office man thinks coach Bill Belichick will use the controversial"

Patriots to cut either Haynesworth or Ochocinco?

August 14

National Football Post

(scroll down)

"Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth might not be long for New England. One day before this story came out by my guy Mike Reiss, one NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts."

Meet Chad Ochocinco's fiancee Evelyn Lozada

August 11

Boston Herald

"Evelyn Lozada is New England Patriot superstar Chad Ochocinco's best catch yet. The Bronx-born bombshell — there's not a misplaced curve on her body — is one of the stars of VH1's "Basketball Wives," an entrepreneur and ready for her big, fabulous Boston takeover. The soon-to-be Mrs. Ochocinco, 35, and her wild wide receiver are putting down roots in Foxboro tomorrow, settling into a two-bed, two-bath love nest, just minutes from the stadium. And no matter what her fiance is telling the press, she will not be living with a Pats fan. Not for a day, certainly not for two weeks. "He wants to do it, so he will. But that fan better be married with kids," Lozada told me yesterday in an exclusive"

Ochocinco's in synch with Brady

August 10

Boston Globe

"In this episode of Training Camp Today, Chris Gasper and Greg Bedard discuss the early days of Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco in Foxborough, how he fits into Tom Brady's passing game, and what to expect going forward. Ochocinco spoke to the media about his transition into being a Patriot, getting ready for the season, getting around Boston, his plans to live with a fan, and his communication with Tom Brady."

Chad Ochocinco learns at wheel

August 10

Boston Herald

"When he moves into a new city, Chad Ochocinco doesn't use a GPS. He leaves the Garmin or TomTom turned off, preferring to cruise around on his own, making wrong turns and asking for directions. It's how he learns, while entertaining his millions of Twitter followers with his adventures. "I get lost a lot," the newest Patriots receiver said. "It's been fun. This past weekend I was a little frustrated because I lost about an hour, and I couldn't get where I needed to. Other than that, Boston — actually, heaven — has been good." Ochocinco is wading through the Patriots plays similarly. He had quarterback Tom Brady's hand signals down quickly, but the playbook makes a street map of greater"

Ochocinco is planning an unusual move

August 10

Boston Globe

"Chad Ochocinco still thinks he's in heaven - or at least football's version of it - and while it's getting easier to find his way around the football field in Foxborough, navigating the city of Boston is still posing a challenge. He may have hit on a way to aid in that. Yesterday, as he was wrapping up another subdued (for him) question-and-answer session, he was asked if he had found a place to live yet; he has not, he replied, and he is looking for someone to open their house to him."

Salary update: Ochocinco on 1-year deal

August 6

Boston Globe

"The NFLPA has put its website back up, so we have some salary information for you. The most surprising thing is WR Chad Ochocinco, who had three years left on his Bengals contract, will be paid $6 million for 2011 and then is scheduled to become a free agent. That is according to NFLPA records. It's possible that an extension hasn't been processed yet, or there could have been a clerical error. But that's what the records say right now."

Chad Ochocinco benefits by private lessons

August 1

Boston Herald

"Whether adjusting his attitude, adapting to a new football way of life or simply showing a willingness to learn, Chad Ochocinco has impressed several teammates during the past few days. Deion Branch was one of Ochocinco's biggest cheerleaders yesterday at Patriots camp. Following the morning walkthrough, the wide receiver told reporters how well the former Bengals wideout, who was acquired in a trade last week, has been at tackling the Patriots' complex offense. "I think he's picked up a lot of things," Branch said. "The stuff they've thrown at him, I think he's done a great job of picking it up. The stuff that he's sliding on, we're going to do our best to pick him up when we can, and"

Chad Ochcinco gets his wish to play for Patriots

July 31

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Chad Ochocinco saw both of his dreams realized and an era end on Thursday. His three-year pursuit of trying to leave the Bengals finally happened as the charismatic 33-year old receiver was dealt to New England for two lower-round draft picks (a fifth-rounder in 2012 and a sixth-rounder in 2013). In the process, he gets to play for Bill Belichick, whom he has long admired. The trade is expected to become official Friday. Ochocinco had one year remaining on his Bengals contract, which would have paid him $6 million. In order to leave, however, he renegotiated it to a three-year deal. When the trading period opened on Tuesday, the Patriots asked and received permission from the Bengals to"

Ochocinco quiets some of the expectations a bit

July 31

Boston Globe

"The skeptic in you may not believe it, but Chad Ochocinco said he will be a quieter version of himself as a member of the Patriots. A man who has become his own public relations machine said his new role with the Patriots may require dialing back the antics. "It's a new chapter in my life and I'm happy to be here,'' Ochocinco said. "It is going to be a little quiet. You won't get the same Chad you are used to and I probably won't be talking to the media much, probably not at all really. I just want to play ball and ride the wave.''"

Chad Ochocinco gets No. 85

July 30

Boston Globe

"Was there ever any doubt new Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco would be able to obtain the No. 85 -- the reason he changed his name from Chad Johnson -- from Aaron Hernandez? It didn't take long. Ochocinco was wearing it by the second practice of his first day with the team. If only we could have listened in on the conversations depicted above, which took place in the morning, prior to the photo at right being shot during the second practice session. The Globe's Greg Bedard tweeted earlier today he heard, but hasn't yet confirmed, that Hernandez outright gave the number to Ochocinco and "asked for nothing." He also wrote in his practice report that Hernandez wore shorts with No. 81 on them,"

Patriot Way takes a turn with Ochocinco and Haynesworth

July 30

Boston Globe

columnist Christopher L. Gasper

"The Patriot Way? Child please, as Chad Ochocinco would say. The Patriots' mantra is more like "just win, baby." The Patriots have become the NFL's version of Outward Bound while trying to become Super Bowl-bound again, reforming some of the NFL's more temperamental talents to regain their lofty Lombardi Trophy perch. Yesterday, they made trades for wanton Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, a man with a massive frame and an equally large list of transgressions, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, a man whose self-promotional antics make Shaquille O'Neal look like a shut-in. For vastly different reasons, neither player appears to fit the mold of the"

Messages received

July 30

Boston Globe

"The moment is captured in the tiny square of Chad Ochocinco's popular Twitter account. His avatar, once only a picture of himself, has been replaced with a photo of Ochocinco grasping Tom Brady's hand with a two-handed shake on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium. Hours after Ochocinco landed in New England, he strolled onto the field yesterday wearing a long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants with a Patriots logo on the side. The fans who gathered to watch the second day of training camp erupted with applause when they spotted the receiver, who seemed to be in awe of the moment. He spent the first minutes of the session chatting with Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. During"

Receivers eager about hanging with Chad

July 30

Boston Herald

"Wes Welker seemed pretty pumped up after the morning walkthrough. Having Chad Ochocinco in close proximity will do that to you. Ochocinco, who arrived courtesy of a trade with the Bengals that was finalized yesterday, took in the walkthrough as a spectator, and later, was a full participant in the afternoon session. Mingling with him and watching him get in his first reps with the Patriots had Welker especially enthused. "I'm excited to have him. I'm excited to get to work with him," Welker said after the morning session. "Hopefully, we can come together and make some good plays out there." "He's a great player. I think he's showed that over the years," Welker said. "Hopefully, he can make"

How will Chad Ochocinco be remembered?

July 29

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Terrell Owens is gimping into his football sunset, after tearing an ACL while working out. Or while taping his reality show. Or something. Maybe it was both. Does it matter? At age 37, teamless and out until November, Owens is likely finished. He will be a Hall of Fame receiver. His numbers make it inevitable: Second all-time in receiving yards, tied for second in touchdown catches, seventh in receptions. At his best, Owens could beat you across the middle or down the sideline. He was a freak of nature who, even last year, always looked 10 years younger than he was. He caught nine passes for 122 yards in Super Bowl 39, six weeks after he broke his leg. Too bad he'll be largely remembered"

Wide receiver gets his wish to play for Patriots

July 29

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Chad Ochocinco saw both of his dreams realized and an era end on Thursday. His three-year pursuit of trying to leave the Bengals finally happened as the charismatic 33-year old receiver was dealt to New England for two lower-round draft picks (a fifth-rounder in 2012 and a sixth-rounder in 2013). In the process, he gets to play for Bill Belichick, whom he has long admired. The trade is expected to become official Friday. Ochocinco had one year remaining on his Bengals contract, which would have paid him $6 million. In order to leave, however, he renegotiated it to a three-year deal. When the trading period opened on Tuesday, the Patriots asked and received permission from the Bengals to"

Splash zone

July 29

Boston Globe

"The Patriots are quiet no more. While the rival Jets on Wednesday re-signed their best receiver (Santonio Holmes) and became serious contenders to add one of the league's best cornerbacks (Nnamdi Asomugha), the Patriots were nearly silent by comparison. At least, it seemed they were. Inside Gillette Stadium, often only half-jokingly referred to as the Fort Knox of the North, the phones were buzzing. On Tuesday, the Patriots called the Bengals, requesting and receiving permission to speak with wide receiver Chad Ochocinco about a possible trade. Then Wednesday night, coach Bill Belichick called Redskins counterpart Mike Shanahan to inquire about defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. By last"

Patriots acquire Ochocinco from Bengals

July 29

Boston Globe

"The New England locker room will be a lot more interesting starting tomorrow - the team has acquired veteran receiver Chad Ochocinco from Cincinnati. The Patriots are shipping a late-round pick in both 2012 and 2013 to Cincinnati in the deal. New England asked for and received permission to talk to Ochocinco and agent Drew Rosenhaus from the Bengals on Tuesday. The final three years of his contract have reportedly been re-worked. This may be the one time where a move that was surmised by many around the Patriots as possible actually came to bear: Belichick has said before that he has a great deal of respect for the former Chad Johnson, and Ochocinco has made no secret of his admiration for"