Ochocinco apologizes for in-game tweeting
Outspoken Cincinnati Bengals’ receiver Chad Ochocinco was fined $25,000 this week for tweeting during the Bengals’ preseason game against the Eagles this past Friday. Well, just put that on his tab. Ochocinco has paid many fines before to the NFL for his antics during a game, but it has not reached this extent. Ochocinco is very active in the entertainment world; he hosts his own reality show and is very involved with social networking, Twitter being just one example.
The league has rules for using Twitter and other social networks on game day. Ochocinco tweeted twice on game day. This is far from the first time that Ochocinco’s been fined. Known to have fun and perform unorthodox antics during a game, this was just the latest in his donations to the National Football League. Ochocinco apologized on his Twitter account and still managed to throw in his sense of humour: "@nflcommish Dad again I apologize 2 you for my tweet, as my father I understand you've to discipline, can we try timeout next time please :)," Ochocinco tweeted, regarding NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Players are not permitted to post messages starting from 90 minutes until kickoff. It was just a preseason game, but a game nonetheless and the NFL is known to be strict on their policies. Players cannot begin social networking until all media obligations are filled for the day. Ochocinco also tweeted that the money had come out of his car payments.
“Dear NFL I apologize for tweeting during the game but that was 2 months of my Bugatti payments you just took from me, I won't do it again," he wrote following the fine.
The fines Ochocinco has paid have really not had an effect on how he acts. While he is outspoken and is not afraid to say what’s on his mind, he hasn’t been unsportsmanlike in his career. All his antics are meant in good fun and his teammates and coaches have grown to accept who he is. If they’d had a problem with him, they certainly wouldn’t have signed his buddy Terrell Owens this off-season. Reining in Ochocinco has never been an easy task, and if the fans keep eating it up and all it costs is a couple payments on his Bugatti, don't expect the outspoken star to tone it down anytime soon.
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