Ocho Cinco Slapped With $25K Tweet Fine

Bengal wide receiver, annoyed by ban, shows the love with tickets

(NEWSER) - Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochocinco really likes Twitter, so he wasn't happy about the NFL's new policy banning tweets before, during, and after games. He tried to do an end run—vowing to use hand signals to pass messages to a tweeter in the stands, but the NFL banned having a representative tweet during games, too. So the wide receiver came up with another way to encourage his Twitter fans: He'll fly some of them to each of his home games. More»

(NEWSER) - A defiant Chad Ocho Cinco has vowed to do an end-run around NFL regulations and go ahead with plans to give fans in-game Twitter updates, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Damn NFL and these rules. I am going by my own set of rules," the Bengals receiver tweeted after learning that NFL regulations prohibit the use of electronic devices in the bench zone during games. "I ain’t hurting nobody or getting in trouble, I am putting my foot down!!” More»

Jets' defense stifles Patriots; Saints clobber Eagles

(NEWSER) - The Chicago Bears stunned the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers today with a last-minute, 44-yard field goal, the Chicago Tribune reports, and won 17-14. In other NFL action:

• The New York Jets kept New England out of their end zone in a taut, 16-9 win over the Patriots, ESPN reports.

Bengals' 85 must stick with old name unless he pays for souvenir shirts

(NEWSER) - Chad Ocho Cinco's jersey is going to continue to read plain old "C. Johnson" for the rest of the 2008 season, reports AP. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver legally changed his name before the season to the Spanish words for his shirt number. But the NFL has ruled that Ocho Cinco can't have his new name on his shirt unless he pays Reebok for all its unsold Johnson souvenir jerseys. He called the decision "stupid politics." More»

Johnson officially 'Ocho Cinco'

(NEWSER) - Irascible NFLer Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco, a Spanish reference to his jersey number 85, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. Johnson took the name two years ago and was fined $5,000 for putting it on the back of his uniform in 2006. “It’s something I don’t think has been done before,” he said. "I’m having fun.” Team officials had no comment. More»