The 2013: Fan on Fire – Pro Football Awards – “Diva of the Year” (Nominees)

Ndamukong Suh, (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America)

A player like Ndamukong Suh should be nominated for Enforcer of the Year.  But hey tough guys can be Diva’s too.

Here are the Nominees for the 2013 Fan on Fire – Pro Football Awards: Diva of the Year

The Firestorm: Chad Ochocinco’s “in awe” Tweet

This is definitely a “Firestorm” issue, if there ever was one.  Twitter can be a very useful and informative tool if used properly, but sometimes when you put something out there right off the top of your head like some of my “Spontaneous Combustions”, it can get you into trouble.  And that’s the situation that Chad Ochocinco is in right now.

Something Ochocinco probably thought was harmless, has exploded into something big, and that’s what Twitter can do.  It can turn something that’s an idle passing thought one second, into something that is trending world-wide the next.

Now let’s examine exactly why Ochocinco is taking so much flack over this?  Several former New England Patriot’s players have come out and attacked Ochocinco because of a tweet he made that made it seem like he was in awe of the Patriot’s offense.

Tedy Bruschi was the first to respond and suggested that Ochocino stop tweeting and start watching film and study his playbook.  And others have said similar things in regards to the tweet.

Bruschi may be right, but I can see why Ochocinco is awe-struck.  When he was with the Bengals, he was the best player on a bad team, which now translates to him being an average player on a great team.  As a Bengal, winning was not Ochocinco’s priority, it was planning his next touchdown celebration, or his next reality TV show.

With the Patriots winning is the priority.  It’s the mind-set.  It’s the only agenda.  This is the difference between teams that are perennial winners and perennial losers.  Winning consistently is hard, and this is the mentality that Bruschi had his entire career, and that Chad Ochocinco is only just now being exposed to.

On a team like the Patriots it’s not just about who the most talented player is.  It’s about who’s the hardest worker, who’s the best prepared, who fits in with the team’s chemistry.  I was surprised when the Patriots signed Ochocinco.  He’s a good receiver, but he’s no Randy Moss.  He’s not Lighting in a bottle.

But the Patriots are all about substance over style, where Ochocinco has been about style over substance.  It’s like oil and water, they don’t mix.  Now, the possibility exists that Ochocinco could become an integral part of the Patriots offense at some point this season.  But I think in order for that to happen, he’s going to have work harder now at football than maybe he has in his whole life.

Can Haynesworth and Ochocinco really mesh with The Patriots?

Albert Haynesworth was paid $32 million in two years by the Redskins and basically shut himself down because he didn’t like the defense the skins were going to run.  And now some how Bill Belichick is supposed to get results from a player who got paid millions and didn’t have enough self-respect to at least  try to do a good job for a more than generous employer.  There are people out there who work hard everyday for a modest living and are proud to do so, let alone those who don’t even have a job.  Yet there are those like Haynesworth who take things for granted and have this sense of entitlement as if everything is all about them. 

Chad Ochocinco was the best player on a bad team with The Bengals.  A player known more his touchdown celebrations than for winning, and now all of a sudden Ochocinco is supposed to magically morph into a champion now that he’s with The Patriots.  Is it possible? Yes, but is it likely?  Doubtful.  It would be great to see Ochocinco fulfill the promise he’s shown over the years and become a humble, team first type of player that so far he has not shown himself to be.  The Patriots have never been about style over substance, and it will be interesting to see if Ochocinco can adopt their lunch pail mentality.

As for Haynesworth, if $32 million dollars can’t light a fire under person to be their best, I seriously doubt a new boss can, even a boss as great as Bill Belichick.  The Patriots didn’t give up much to get Haynesworth, so the risk might be worth the reward.  But the drama and baggage that Haynesworth brings along with his immense talent may not be worth it in the end.