Ochocinco signs with the Alouettes

[QB Club 63]

If this was to happen and I'm Shawn Gore, how much would I consider to be "enough" to give up my jersey number?

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/foot ... story.html

Just what we need ...

[WestCoastJoe]

Principled Lions would be on ‘slippery slope’ adding an NFL talent like Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson

By Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun columnistMarch 14, 2014

VANCOUVER — It really shouldn’t be cause for a pat on the back when a Canadian Football League club says thanks but no thanks to a guy like Chad Johnson.

Maybe he could still get open and catch the football, despite being 36 years old and two seasons out of the game, despite being one of those Terrell Owens/Randy Moss-type lightning rods who can’t seem to survive outside his own self-made womb of ego gratification.

He definitely excited the Twitterverse with the mere possibility on Thursday, repeatedly tweeting on his @ochocinco account that he intended to sign for the 2014 season with the B.C. Lions.

Perhaps he’d be an upgrade on the import receivers the B.C. Lions have: Emmanuel Arceneaux and Courtney Taylor and Ernest Jackson and whoever is moving up the depth chart at wide receiver.

Maybe, with a decade of National Football League stardom on his resume — though stale-dated by several years — the longtime Cincinnati Bengal could still be a difference maker, even at his age.

But then football operations chief Wally Buono and head coach Mike Benevides would have to go home at night and look in the mirror. And so would Travis Lulay, the quarterback.

What price, they would have to ask, those receptions?

“This is an initiative from an individual player, probably in discussion with some of our other players,” Buono said Friday. “Will I have a discussion with my boss? Yes. Do I have a strong inclination to move forward with it? No.”

There are certain things a professional sports organization stands for, and certain things it learns the hard way.

And Chad Johnson represented a challenge to both. A test, if you will, of what the Lions have learned from previous experience with me-first players (read: Casey Printers) and players at the sunset of their athletic careers (Geroy Simon) ... but most importantly, a test of their honesty.

The Lions — in one of the bolder and in some ways more dangerous initiatives to be undertaken by a team in a professional sport that gets a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons — have, for a couple of seasons now, thrown their weight behind a program called “Be More Than A Bystander, Break The Silence On Violence Against Women.”

Through a series of powerful public service announcements and videos, players like Lulay and slotback Shawn Gore, safety J.R LaRose and recently retired centre Angus Reid have urged the public to speak up and speak out — and now, their conviction as a football club has been put to the test.

On Aug. 11, 2012, a little over a month after marrying Evelyn Lozada, Chad Johnson was arrested on a charge of domestic battery. According to the police report, he allegedly head-butted his wife following an argument.

The next day, he was released by the Miami Dolphins. That’s right. Even the Miami Dolphins, home to Richie Incognito and an apparent locker-room culture of brutality and harassment and abuse, cut ties with him. Two days later, his wife filed for divorce. He entered a no-contest plea of misdemeanour domestic battery, and avoided jail time but eventually was incarcerated anyway, for repeated violations of his probation, which ended only four months ago.

But there he was Thursday on Twitter, exchanging messages with Arceneaux and cornerback Dante Marsh, talking up his intent to come north.

“I think it all started last year when we wore our gun-metal grey jersey and he tweeted — or twittered, or however the hell you say it — that he liked it. And because he is such a high-profile NFL guy, it made for a lot of pizzazz,” Buono said. “And one thing leads to another.”

Ordinarily, an approach from a receiver with Johnson’s playing record would be, to say the least, intriguing. But nothing about the timing, or the circumstances, is ordinary.

“You have to be very, very — very — cautious because of all the things it implies,” Buono said. “He got charged with, what domestic battery, right? And convicted. And you look at some of the programs that we support.

“Do we have to comment on it? I think we have to at least acknowledge it, but I think you also have to acknowledge what your organization stands for and how you want to be perceived going forward.”

Even if all that weren’t true, the Lions just went through the painful process of trading away their all-time great receiver, Simon, because he was 37 years old and his skills were diminishing. Simon then won the Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

For all his God-fearing, highly-principled beliefs, the GM has never shied away from cutting players once they reached the point of no return, but signing a 36-year-old with nothing like Simon’s character at this point ....

“It’s not only a tough sale, it’s just, we want to be sensitive to whether going down this path is the right path,” Buono said.

“It’s not like a guy who as an 18-year-old got into a fight with another 18-year-old, or a guy who made a bad decision because he got in his car and drove home (after drinking). That’s tough stuff, but you look at the circumstances of what happened in his case, the fact that he was probably in the twilight of his career, his personality ... is it worth going down that road? Once you associate, then all the good things that you’ve done seem to take a back seat.

“It’s a very slippery slope. I don’t think you sacrifice the values of your organization, the programs that you’ve invested in and support, for any one player because I don’t think the risk is worth the reward.”

The happy fallout from the Lions’ stand? Their own ochocinco, No. 85, won’t be pressured to give it up.

Shawn Gore, more than a bystander, might have refused anyway, on principle.

[WestCoastJoe]

He definitely excited the Twitterverse with the mere possibility on Thursday, repeatedly tweeting on his @ochocinco account that he intended to sign for the 2014 season with the B.C. Lions.

Perhaps he’d be an upgrade on the import receivers the B.C. Lions have: Emmanuel Arceneaux and Courtney Taylor and Ernest Jackson and whoever is moving up the depth chart at wide receiver.

Maybe, with a decade of National Football League stardom on his resume — though stale-dated by several years — the longtime Cincinnati Bengal could still be a difference maker, even at his age.

But then football operations chief Wally Buono and head coach Mike Benevides would have to go home at night and look in the mirror. And so would Travis Lulay, the quarterback.

What price, they would have to ask, those receptions?

“This is an initiative from an individual player, probably in discussion with some of our other players,” Buono said Friday. “Will I have a discussion with my boss? Yes. Do I have a strong inclination to move forward with it? No.”

There are certain things a professional sports organization stands for, and certain things it learns the hard way.

Braley will shudder, shake his head, and say something to the effect of not on my watch. To me this is a head shaker. Just invite trouble. Just invite dragging your good name into the mud.

I am glad Buono is saying the cautionary things he is saying.

The Lions — in one of the bolder and in some ways more dangerous initiatives to be undertaken by a team in a professional sport that gets a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons — have, for a couple of seasons now, thrown their weight behind a program called “Be More Than A Bystander, Break The Silence On Violence Against Women.”

That this even gets a life on Twitter kind of shames the Lions' campaign “Be More Than A Bystander, Break The Silence On Violence Against Women,” it seems to me.

Through a series of powerful public service announcements and videos, players like Lulay and slotback Shawn Gore, safety J.R LaRose and recently retired centre Angus Reid have urged the public to speak up and speak out — and now, their conviction as a football club has been put to the test.

Take Shawn Gore's number 85, one of the Lions' speakers against violence to women? <Shudder> ... What a nightmare.

On Aug. 11, 2012, a little over a month after marrying Evelyn Lozada, Chad Johnson was arrested on a charge of domestic battery. According to the police report, he allegedly head-butted his wife following an argument.

The next day, he was released by the Miami Dolphins. That’s right. Even the Miami Dolphins, home to Richie Incognito and an apparent locker-room culture of brutality and harassment and abuse, cut ties with him. Two days later, his wife filed for divorce. He entered a no-contest plea of misdemeanour domestic battery, and avoided jail time but eventually was incarcerated anyway, for repeated violations of his probation, which ended only four months ago.

Yes. Released by the Dolphins, after his arrest for violence against his wife.

He entered no-contest to domestic battery. Later jailed for probation violation.

Thanks to Cam Cole for shedding some light on this situation.

Let's put this nonsense to rest. Even if he was the best possible representative for any organization, he has been out of football for two years.

[TheLionKing]

I don't see Buono signing Ochocinco

[B.C.FAN]

I think what Wally is saying is No. And I support that decision.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.cfl.ca/article/should-the-li ... son-a-look

Should the Lions consider giving Chad Johnson a look?

Posted: March 14, 2014 02:00 PM

CFL.ca Staff

VANCOUVER -- The CFL Twitterverse was abuzz on Thursday night, thanks to a tweet from former NFL star Chad Johnson.

Johnson, who last saw action in pre-season action with the Miami Dolphins in 2012, responded to a question from a fan asking him who he'll be signing with this off-season.

The always-colourful Johnson responded bluntly: The BC Lions.

After a frenzy ensued from fans on both sides of the border, Johnson took it one step further, tweeting directly at the Lions account about his intentions.

Shortly thereafter, the Lions noticed the confident receiver's actions, and decided to take matters into their own hands.

Johnson then began engaging with current Lions stars Dante Marsh and Emmanuel Arceneaux.

But the Johnson saga took a much more interesting turn this morning, when TSN's Farhan Lalji tweeted that Lions general manager Wally Buono is looking into the situation.

Johnson ended his NFL career with 766 career receptions, 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns.

Would he be a good fit for the Lions? Should the team seriously consider bringing him in?

Issues with violence against women.

Good for the locker room?

Has not played for two years.

36 years old.

Sell tickets? More like cause cancellations.

IMO ... Not going to happen.

[WestCoastJoe]

From TSN ...

Buono: "You have to look at more than just the athlete."

"As an organization we support a lot of functions and groups."

"We have the program: 'Be More Than A Bystander, Break The Silence On Violence Against Women.' We take this issue very seriously."

[DanoT]

I have always considered Johnson's antics to be mostly humorous class clown type stuff as opposed to Terell Owns' or Randy Moss' me first locker room disruptive stuff. That said, the domestic battery conviction is a shocker and puts any interest in Johnson out of the question.

[ziggy]

I think what Wally is saying is No. And I support that decision.

I agree. It's pretty clear in my mind that Wally is saying no.

[Shi Zi Mi]

It's funny how something that started out in jest could spin so out of control....

[WestCoastJoe]

Chad Johnson may need the money.

He may need the focus that football has brought to his life.

I expect there was some serious intent in his reaching out to the Lions.
.................

However, he is 36 years old, and out of football for two years.
.................

There is the issue of violence against women. And this while the Lions have their program “Be More Than A Bystander, Break The Silence On Violence Against Women." It just sends the wrong message.
..................

As much as one wishes to give second and even third chances to individuals that have messed up, a pro sports team has to have public relations pretty much at the top of its priority list.

That is what David Braley is about. That is what Wally Buono is about.

This does not seem like an opportunity to give someone another chance.
...........

“Do we have to comment on it? I think we have to at least acknowledge it, but I think you also have to acknowledge what your organization stands for and how you want to be perceived going forward.” -- Wally Buono

I don't think Wally has given a definitive "No" as of yet, but I cannot see an opportunity with the Lions happening for Chad Johnson.

[notahomer]

It would seem especially hypocritical considering the Lions 'Bystander' campaign.

Chad J/O has gone from the 'cool cat' (ala the Class Clown, Danot described) to seeming to be like a deer caught in the headlights. IMO, football was probably the thing that kept him going and he needs it back in his life somehow, even if its in some kinda of analyst role but again those get tough to land when you've got a record for domestic violence......

[sj-roc]

TSN is reporting that he has been added to the Alouettes' neg list.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=446799

[TheLionKing]

So he's tired of Ochocinco and back to Chad Johnson.