Ochocinco Playing For The Crew? No Thanks.

By: Chris | September 16th, 2010

As some of you may have heard, Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco was on FSC’s Soccer Talk Live recently where he stated his desire to play pro soccer, maybe as early as next season. He even went so far as to compare himself to Didier Drogba. When asked about his foot speed, Chad said that there “is not one person in soccer right now who would beat me running,” including FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Ochocinco says that he warms up before his NFL practices and games with a soccer ball, dribbling around for a bit, to help him with his footwork.

Chad even tweeted, to the Columbus Crew, that he’ll “be trying out soon” and asked what he needs to do, presumably to earn a spot on the team.

Chad is, without question, one of the greatest athletes the NFL has ever seen. He is also, without question, a huge fan of soccer. He has been seen at numerous games, and is known to be good friends with Red Bull New York’s Theirry Henry, and even used to travel to London during the NFL offseason to watch Henry play for Arsenal.

As the soccer media and fans react to Chad’s comments, some fans are starting a grassroots movement to bring Chad to the Crew. I, personally, don’t think this is a good idea, even assuming that he is a good enough soccer player to make the team. Here’s why:

1) Chad Ochocinco is not a soccer player. Right now Ochocinco is 32 years old and has been playing football, either at the college or pro level, for 13 years. The highest level of soccer he has played was youth leagues (Chad says he committed himself to football full-time when he got to high school). He just doesn’t have the experience to play at the pro level, no matter how much soccer he watches. The greats, like Chad’s buddy Henry, didn’t gain their knowledge and feel for the game, or their field vision, just by watching on TV or from the stands. They had to play for years and years in order to become great.

Chad may have the athletic ability to run fast and dribble the ball, and maybe even score, but his ability to feel the flow of the game, and react to it on the fly, just aren’t developed.

2) Chad Ochocinco costs money. The 2010 MLS salary cap is $2.55 million. In 2009, Chad Ochocino’s salary was $4.75 million. You do the math. Even if Ochocinco takes a huge pay cut, he is still going to command a number that most MLS teams, let alone the Crew, cannot match. Chad Marshall is the highest paid player on the 2010 Crew, making a cool $250,000. Let’s assume that Ochocinco agrees to that salary (a 1900% pay cut, by the way), is that money really well spent?

Wouldn’t it be wiser for the Crew, or any MLS team not named LA or New York, to spend that money on a player that has proven himself as a soccer professional? A quarter of a million dollars is a decent amount of money to throw around on the transfer market, and could bring any team, especially the Crew, that “missing link” type player – someone who scores goals, or is a connection between the defensive and offensive midfields (Brad Evans, anyone?).

The point is, giving Ochocinco anything more than the $40,000 league minimum is a waste of money.

3) Chad Ochocinco will cause a media circus. This one could really go either way, as publicity is always a good thing. But, as we all saw with the Beckham experiment, too much media can be a bad thing and distract from the team. I’m not saying that Ochocinco will have 24/7 tabloid coverage as Mr. and Mrs. Spice do out in LA, but there will certainly be an increased media presence at both practices and matches.

Though this sounds great on the surface, think of all of the other guys on the team who just want to play the game and be left alone without answering questions about Ochocinco and whatnot. Guys like Guillermo, who loves Columbus, and the MLS, so much because of the anonymity it affords them. Guys like Eddie Gaven and Brian Carroll, who we all know just want to go play the game without being hounded by reporters (it’s not that Eddie and Brian are anti-media, they’re just quiet).

All it would take is one media-induced rift in the team and everything the Crew has built here over the past few years could come crashing down. I’m not ready to risk that just for increased coverage on Sportscenter, especially when the coverage isn’t of the soccer, but of Ochocinco.

Sure, there would be a couple of up-sides to having Chad Ochocinco suit up in Black and Gold – think of the crowds he would draw and the increase in awareness for soccer in Columbus, and I’m sure he would be great for the team’s fantasy football league – but overall I think it would be better to pass on him. Nothing against Chad, I’m sure he’s a great guy, not to mention a great soccer fan, but he just doesn’t seem to be a good fit with the Crew in terms of the big picture.

May I suggest an alternative: Get Chad to a game or two in Columbus, let him roam the Nordecke and experience the passion, let him fall in love with our fans and team, and then bring him on a minority owner. Chad’s biggest contribution to soccer in America may not be made on the field, but rather as an owner and ambassador for the game.

Category: Chris, Opinion

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Ochocinco Playing For The Crew? No Thanks.

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