Chad Johnson

[BadMoFo]

September 27, 2007
Chad checks in
FOXBOROUGH -- Bengals receiver Chad Johnson held a conference call with the New England media today (1:15 p.m.). Unlike last year, when he asked the media to pass along some playful, trash-talking messages to safety Rodney Harrison and cornerback Asante Samuel, he kept things low key.

"Rodney is not playing?" Johnson asked. "Then I don't have any messages."

Yet Johnson did have one message for Bill Belichick.

"Tell Coach I said I love him, and that I'm looking forward to a great challenge," he said. "This is more than a football game. This is going to be a chess match. I don't really think it's between the players. This is a chess match for the coaches, who is going to make the right moves at the right time."

Johnson shared some strong feelings on the NFL's investigation into the Patriots' videotaping procedures.

"That videotaping thing, it doesn't matter," he said passionately. "OK, say you do know the signals. You still have to go out and execute the defense. Forget that. Take the cameras away -- you're talking about a great football team that has great coaches. Throw that camera bull out the window. They'd be 3-0 right now regardless of that damn camera."

Told he might be in the minority based on other comments made by players around the league, Johnson said: "Be for real. Be for real. They're a great team offensively and defensively. They are a great team and there is a reason why they are where they are. It's not because of no damn camera."

Johnson said he didn't have any celebrations planned, because the Bengals are 1-2 and it's not a time for celebrations.

Near the end of the 16-minute call, Johnson was asked his thoughts on playing Monday night. The bright lights and nationally televised audience seemed made for him, he was told.

"Most definitely," he said playfully. "It's one thing to already love the game, but to give me the spotlight on Monday night to play, you just don't do those things."

 

[Nitro]

"Tell Coach I said I love him,

Whens he a free agent? maybe its just me but it seems like the guy wants to play for NE or something.

 

[Cramden]

Was just going to post this, great stuff.

 

[Dragda]

I seem to hold unpopular opinions, but I have always liked Chad Johnson. His trash talk is just for entertainment purposes. I'm glad he has a very good QB to throw him the ball.

 

[Caspir]

Whens he a free agent? maybe its just me but it seems like the guy wants to play for NE or something.

He's signed through the 2011 season after restructuring his existing contract in 2006 which ran through 2009. He got a two year extension to that original deal that added more than $10m to the existing deal which was for over $25m. It's now a 6 year $35m and some change contract. His 2010 and 2011 base salaries are $5.375m per year.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Chad and BB have always had great respect for each other. Chad used to, he may still, actually sleep at the Bengals complex on Thrusday nights, to spend more time getting prepared.

Nobody thought to ask him what he thought about Papelbon referring to himself as "cinco-ocho"

 

[PatsRI]

It's hard not to like the guy.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Whens he a free agent? maybe its just me but it seems like the guy wants to play for NE or something.

Really smart talented players absolutely do. BB coached him in the Pro Bowl last February. That opened a lot of eyes about his coaching personality. These guys want to be put in a position to win. If they aren't all the talent in the world doesn't get them where they want to go. Talent doesn't fear accountability, it fears being held accountable for the mismanagement of others. Ask Randy.

Talent made a big splash for Marvin Lewis in 2005 when it appeared the Bungles were finally developing into Bengals (or even the Colts...). Even got him a plum appointment to the competition committee. His inability to manage that talent and get it to exhibit discipline on or off the field, has seen them slip backwards over the last season and a quarter. I don't see a lot of management accountability in a lot of organizations. I watch Marvin turning inside out from good play to bad play frustrated with the erratic undisciplined performance players he is responsible for fielding and coaching turn in. And I gotta wonder, whose fault do you think that is Marvin?

I still don't like the silly celebrations. Sure they're harmless in the grand scheme, but he's right that 1-2 is no time to be acting silly and calling attention to yourself.

 

[Krugman]

I'm with you Dragda,Chad's end zone celebrations and the "Ocho Cinco" thing are hilarious,and never seem to be aimed at the opposing team ,or mean-spirited.When he jumped into the dog pound at Cleveland that was a hoot!How can you not like this guy?

 

[Mainefan]

I think he's one of the most likeable and talented people in the league. Also, very entertaining. He might be a bit stifled if he were a Patriot, however.

 

[SVN]

he is nice guy but look at the questions the press asks before a big football game

Q: Last year you asked us to pass along some messages and we're ready to be of service this year, if you're up for us passing something along.

CJ: Rodney [Harrison] is not playing?

Q: Rodney is not playing.

CJ: OK, well I don't have any messages then.

Q: Asante Samuel is playing.

CJ: I love Asante. He's a good friend of mine. It's not going to have the same effect.

Q: This seems like a very subdued Chad Johnson here today.

CJ: Subdued? You think so?

Q: Yeah, a little bit.

CJ: No, not really.

 

[3RINGS@COUNTING]

Good post it may of changed my view of him. It would be great to see him as a pat not thats possible.

 

[Underoath]

Chad's my favorite non-patriot player.

 

[zarakotas5]

he is nice guy but look at the questions the press asks before a big football game

That's the epitome of respect in terms of pro football.

CJ makes a show of saying he will do this and that against so and so.

When so and so is of importance but won't play, he said nothing.

He's damn good and knows it. We should acknowledge that. He is damn good. And somehow (except for the HOF thing, which I think was trifle and poor), he comes off as entertainment, which is the spirit of the game. Even **** Butkus said so much, and as "spirit of the game" fans, we should accept that.

 

[FloridaHerb]

I like Chad a lot, I don't have the BB quote at my fingertips but I think it was pretty much to the effect of "He's a good kid"..I don't know why everyone has to get so caught up with his antics, he's out there having fun.

It is a game after all, games are SUPPOSED to be fun!

That said I hope Chad doesn't have any fun until 10/14 @ KC.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I seem to hold unpopular opinions, but I have always liked Chad Johnson. His trash talk is just for entertainment purposes. I'm glad he has a very good QB to throw him the ball.

I feel the same way, CJ is AOK in my book.

 

[CTPatsFan]

While I do find some of his antics a bit stupid and/or annoying, he does do it all in good fun and opposing players seem to have a good time with him. Outside the 2-way trash talking with opponents, I've never heard him speak ill of another team or player.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Too bad we didn't draft him. Can you believe he went in the 2nd round?
Right now this team has room for only one premiere receiver on the payroll anyway, and that's going to be Randy Moss.
Extending Moss is going to take a pretty chunk of cap but it will be worth it.

And I believe this time that Brady WILL put his foot down.
I can understand not wanting to pay top dollar to Branch, but Moss has proven himself worth it.

 

[FSUPatsFan]

For those interested, here is what BB had to say about Chad Johnson last year before the Patriots played the Bengals.

Q: What did you think of Chad Johnson's comments yesterday?

BB: Which comments were those?

Q: Well, he's going to knock off Rodney [Harrison's] helmet. He's going to flip Asante [Samuel] upside down.

BB: Is he? Chad is a good guy. He's a good guy. I've spent some time with him. He's really an entertaining kid. He has a good sense of humor. It sounds like he was poking fun at us. That's okay.

Q: What do you think would motivate him to say things like that?

BB: I think he's just a playful kind of guy. I think that's the way he is.

Q: What if he played for you? How would he fit in here?

BB: I think he'd be productive for any team in the league. I can't imagine that he wouldn't be. When I went and worked him out, he was working out in LA, so I worked him out on the USC campus. Of course he came up there with his car and he had his Oregon State magnetic flag on his car on the USC campus. That kind of stuff. He's a good kid. I've spent time with him a couple of times in the offseason. He's a good guy to be around. I'm sure he meant all of those things real seriously.

Q: Why were you with him during the offseason?

BB: We were at a couple of events together and just from time-to-time we bumped into each other. Stuff like that. It wasn't anything scheduled. It just worked out that way. But like I said, we go back to Keyshawn [Johnson] and when he came out, what was that, five years ago? Whatever it was. I can't remember. We played him here a few times. Some players you just end up bumping into more than others. There's, I don't know, however many players in the league, almost 2,000. Some guys you end up, for one reason or another, bumping into a little more than others. He's one of those that our paths have crossed a few times. It's been fun.

Q: Why does no one ever take offense to the things he says? Why don't more teams take that seriously?

BB: It's Chad being Chad. That's just Chad.

Q: Is it more acceptable because he can back it up?

BB: He's not even serious. I could throw the same stuff back at him if that's really what we wanted to do.

Q: Could you do that? We want you to. [Laughter]

BB: [Laughter] Tell him we'd cover him one-on-one all the time, but he pushes off more than any receiver in the league. He must be paying off the officials not to call it. We're going to have to double cover him some, not that he can get open…

[Laughter]

BB: Just as much as he pushes off, we have to do something to protect ourselves. No, he's a great player. We know that.

 

[FlyingElvis75]

Similar stuff from Palmer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070928/SPT02/709280356/

Palmer played for Belichick in February at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

"It was just an honor. He's a legend. He's an icon," Palmer said Thursday of the Patriots' three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach. "I was nervous. ... You get nervous anytime he walks by you. You don't know if he's going to say something.

"He's as good as it gets when you talk coaches of all time in the past. I was just honored to be on his team. I'll never forget the halftime speech. You don't know what to expect. It was my first all-star game like that; you don't know what to expect. And he came into the locker room rip-roaring and screaming and yelling like it was halftime of the Super Bowl and we're down 21 points. But it just shows you that's the competitive side he has."

And Bill:

Belichick had gushed about Palmer on Wednesday.

"I thought it was great that he was named MVP of that game because I think he deserved it, and certainly after what happened last year I think there was some kind of justice in that," Belichick said of Palmer, who had suffered a career-threatening knee ligament injury a calendar year earlier in a playoff game against the Steelers.

"But Carson, just from being able to ...work with him on a daily basis, even though it was just the Pro Bowl, still there was a real appreciation for Carson and his preparation, his ability to read and see things on the field. ... It was a pleasure to work with him."

Heh, I've gone and quoted almost the entire article, but the link's still there in case anyone wants to see ads.