While being interviewed by ESPN, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco announced he will be calling himself Chad Johnson again and would soon seek to legally change his name once again. Ochocinco was legally known as Chad Johnson for the first 31 years of his life, but had announced two years earlier that he was changing his name to honor Hispanic Heritage Month by changing his last name to the number 85 on the jersey he wore with the Bengals. "I've taken this Ocho thing as far as I could," was his reason for changing back. The interview started about Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who reportedly has said he will retire if he is not traded before the start of the 2011 season. ESPN called the wide receiver because he has had his own issues with the franchise, which ranged from trade to salary increase demands. Each request was denied and the team has already said Palmer will be with the team next year. Ochocinco turning around and making the segment about him was on par. He responded to a quote by Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis with some venom of his own. Ochocinco had expressed interest in the New England Patriots and Lewis said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was smarter than that. "If Belichick is so smart then why does he (Lewis) keep me on his team?" was his retort to the Lewis quote. The wide receiver, who has been a Bengal since 2001 and has 738 receptions with six Pro Bowl appearances, did acknowledge he will be wearing the Bengals stripes next year but was uncertain as to who would be throwing him the football. When asked why Palmer would want out, all he could guess was that the quarterback was tired of losing, while no one mentioned how Palmer has obviously lost a lot off his fastball after an elbow injury in 2008. Cincinnati saying Palmer would stay may be more knowing there isn't a big trade market for sore armed quarterbacks who float passes. ESPN baited Ochocinco on Lewis because the pair have had a contentious relationship since Lewis was hired in 2003. The wide receiver once carried a list that was to evaluate defensive backs he would face, and Lewis wondered if Ochocinco was doing everything he could to lead his team to victory. There was also another time Ochocinco took a swing at an unnamed Bengals coach at halftime of a game in the presence of Lewis; the receiver has also said that he and Lewis need to fight before net season. When Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, the teams starting receivers in 2010, missed the last two games of the year, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell stepped up and performed so well that Owens will most likely be on another team next year and it would be far from shocking to see the role of Ochocinco greatly reduced in 2011. The Cincinnati Bengals have many more changes to worry about this year than the name change of their resident clown, but his intent to bring fun to the game is appreciated by many fans. Whatever names he calls himself or gets called by others, the circus is always in town when he suits up.
