After all those years of look-at-me-antics and ceaseless self-promotion, Ochocinco is finally at the mecca of the football world, but preaching it’s really not about him. He’s left the diva role at the Super Bowl to Madonna.
“Everybody, of course myself also, is emphasizing individual statistics this year about me not having a great season, me not producing in my normal way,” said Ochocinco. “But for some reason it’s just so odd that I changed my ways, I approach the situation a lot differently and all the sudden I finally get to that stage.
“What do you want to take? One hundred catches, 1,000 yards and be at home enjoying watching from home, or not have the same numbers and have a chance of playing on the biggest stage of your life. What do you want? There’s one of them I’ve already done. This is something I’ve never done.”
It’s hard to tell if Ochocinco is trying to convince us or himself that playing a bit part on a winner trumps being the center of attention.
Even Brady said on Media Day that he hoped Ochocinco felt a part of the team’s success.
“I’m on the 53-man roster. I’m part of it,” said Ochocinco. “Again, the focal point, rightfully so, is on the individual numbers. This time it’s coming from y’all. If it was the other way around I would get scrutinized for wanting the ball because I would be selfish and disgruntled. That would take care of the individual part, so there would be nothing to aim at. Everybody is aiming at the individual part, which I don’t control. I learned maybe four or five years ago to stop fussing about things that are out of your control.
“That’s what I’ve done, which was why I was quiet this year. There was really nothing for me to say. When my number was called I did my best to make that play.”
It’s a tad hypocritical for Ochocinco to claim it’s the media that put the focus on him after he spent 10 seasons as the game’s preeminent self-promoter. But he has a valid point.
