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By Chick Ludwig
| Friday, August 29, 2008, 03:50 PM
RECALLING NICK WILLIAMS’
NAME CHANGE TO LUCHEY
LUDWIG AT LARGE believes Chad Johnson’s name change to “Chad Ocho Cinco” is a brilliant marketing ploy that will put more cash in Chad’s pocket and fewer victories on the Bengals’ 2008 won-loss ledger. It creates another headache & distraction for a talented but dysfunctional team.
Coming to a sporting goods store near you:
Orange-and-black striped No. 85 Cincinnati Bengals football jerseys with the name “Ocho Cinco” on the nameplate.
Yep. It’s true.
Numerous media outlets are reporting that five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson has officially changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla.
The paperwork was apparently filed on August 8, 2008, and became official on August 28, 2008.
“We’re aware of the reports, but we don’t have an additional comment,” Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said.
Chad used “Ocho Cinco” on his jersey nameplate in 2006, and got fined by the league.
Now fans should look for “Chad Ocho Cinco” to become an officially licensed NFL product.
Check out the story at:
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/broward-county-tells-fanhouse-chad-ocho-cinco-is-official/
For photos of Chad wearing “Ocho Cinco,” go to:
http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=chad+ocho+cinco+photo&btnG=Google+Search
REMEMBER WHEN?
On Sept. 2, 2002, the Bengals announced that Nick Williams has legally changed his name. Beginning Sept. 3, 2002,, he will be listed in team publications as Nicolas Luchey (pronounced LOO-chee).
His full name is now James Nicolas Williams Luchey. Formerly it was James Nicolas Williams.
Luchey said he sought the name change because Luchey is the family name of his biological father.
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By Chick Ludwig
| Friday, August 29, 2008, 03:33 AM
WHAT WE LEARNED:
STILL WAITING TO SEE
RUDI J. AND ‘HOUSH’
ONE … Chris Perry is your starting tailback. I look for Rudi Johnson to get traded or terminated on Saturday because he never played a down in the preseason.
TWO … The offensive line looked good on Perry’s 5-yard TD run. Aside from that, the run-blocking was mediocre at best. Hate to say it, but the big, strong, experienced offensive line is slow and not pushing defenders off the line of scrimmage like it should.
THREE … Ryan Fitzpatrick — I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face — is going to be a starter in the NFL in 2009. But it won’t be for the Bengals. The performance he put on film this entire preseason (24 of 35 passing for 218 yards, 2 TDs, no interceptions and a 104.2 passer rating, PLUS 9 rushes for 79 yards (8.8) was nothing short of spectacular.
FOUR … Glenn Holt deserves to be the No. 3 receiver behind Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He caught 4 passes for 20 yards, including a 9-yard TD from Fitzpatrick at Indy. Jerome Simpson improves every time he steps on the field, but Holt has been solid and consistent.
FIVE … Antonio Chatman (2 punt returns for 40 yards) deserves to be the No. 1 punt returner over Deltha O’Neal.
SIX … James Johnson improved his stock with a 42-yard run; Mario Urrutia caught 2 passes for 27 yards; Domata Peko, Michael Myers and Jason Shirley each had a sack; Frostee Rucker had two tackles for loss; Eric Henderson had a tackle for loss; Leon Hall had two special teams tackles; and Kyries Hebert and Simeon Castille led the Bengals with 5 tackles each (4 solos). Hebert had an interception and Castille had a tackle for loss.
SEVEN … The Bengals are MUCH BETTER on the road (2-0) than at home (0-2). They play harder on the road and seem distracted at home.
EIGHT … Lucas Oil Stadium (nicknamed “The Luke”) is a spectacular arena — from the outside, it resembles the world’s largest warehouse — but the press box has some major flaws. The press tables are too deep; media members literally have to LEAN ALL THE WAY FORWARD to see the field. The chairs for the media stink. They’re flimsy and TOO LOW. I had to stack four chairs so I could sit high enough at the table, and I still had to lean forward to see the field. The lighting in the press box is poor; way too dim. And the elevator operation was awful. If Colts president Bill Polian had to sit on press row, he WOULDN’T SEE THE GAME. Indy is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, so it has time to get this stuff fixed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LucasOilStadium
NINE … Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis kicked up the volume of his voice when he spoke about his team’s running game. “We still need to sharpen up some things on offense. I still would like to see us run the ball a little crisper.” The good news: DeDe Dorsey scored on a 6-yard run AND DIDN’T FUMBLE!
TEN … The Bengals have to “knife” 22 players on Saturday. I’m looking for FB Jeremi Johnson to STICK and for LB Ahmad Brooks to be GONE.
MARVIN LEWIS POST-GAME
Continue reading "Aftermath: Bengals 27, Colts 7"...
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By Chick Ludwig
| Thursday, August 28, 2008, 07:40 PM
SIGN OF THE
APOCALYPSE
Wide receiver Chris Henry, dressed in uniform number 15, was in a group of players at midfield before the game, representing the Bengals as a team captain during the coin toss against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday night.
The Bengals, who looked awful last week, looked awesome early, rolling to an early 14-0 lead before settling for a 17-7 halftime advantage.
Ryan Fitzpatrick engineered a 21-play, 80-yard march that Chris Perry finished with a 5-yard run. The drive chewed up 11 minutes, 22 seconds as Fitzpatrick rushed four times for 35 yards.
Defensive tackle Domata Peko then completed the trifecta — sack, funble and recovery.
Peko penetrated into the backfield and stole the ball from quarterback Quinn Gray.
Three plays later, Fitzpatrick fired a 9-yard TD pass to Glenn Holt at 14:54 of the second quarter.
Bengals tight end Nate Lawrie, a Yale University grad who prepped at nearby Indianapolis Roncalli High School, caught a 30-yard pass from Jeff Rowe to set up Shayne Graham’s 46-yard field goal with 3:50 remaining in the half.
Eleven seconds later, the Colts’ Courtney Roby — who played briefly for the Bengals in 2007 — was in the end zone after his 103-yard kickoff return.
Another ex-Bengal, Keiwan Ratliff, played most of the first half at cornerback for the Colts.
Holt walked off the field under his own power at the 1:47 mark after sustaining a blow to the head. He got hammered by free safety Jamie Silva, then absorbed another hit from linebacker Jordan Senn.
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By Chick Ludwig
| Thursday, August 28, 2008, 11:14 AM
GUILLOTINE POISED,
READY TO DROP AS
‘CUTDOWN DAY’ LOOMS
===LUDWIG AT LARGE alert: The Bengals need to take a good, long look around the locker room. 22 guys will be gone in 48 hours.===
When you cover a team for 12 years, you can’t help but make friends … and enemies.
Takeo Spikes, Brian Simmons, Willie Anderson, Brian Milne, Lorenzo Neal, Brock Gutierrez, Anthony Brown, Tom Tumulty, Adrian Ross, Landon Johnson, Lee Johnson, Doug Pelfrey, Brandon Bennett, Clif Groce, Joe Walter, Madieu Williams, Brian Robinson, Jon Kitna, Richie Braham …
… the list of great guys goes on and on and on.
But I still remember Scott Rehberg getting into my face one day at Paul Brown Stadium and warning me: “What are you doing writing that crap about me? Don’t call me anymore in the offseason. I’m done talking to you!”
Scott, an offensive tackle from Central Michigan (CINCINNATI IS MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH., SOUTH!), was a rather large man with a gigantic head.
I was at the Canton Memorial Civic Center the day the Cleveland Browns plucked him from New England in the 1999 expansion draft. And I was at Spinney Field in Cincinnati the day he arrived as a free agent with the Bengals.
I simply wrote that he needed to play with better leverage — he was a tall dude and needed to become more of a knee-bender — and that his foot speed needed to improve so that he wouldn’t whiff as often as he attempted to block speedy pass-rushing defensive ends.
Actually, I was glad Rehberg ripped me. In fact, I’m not unhappy when ANY player refuses to speak to me. Why? Because there are 52 other dudes who WANT to speak to me.
My best Scott Rehberg story:
At training camp one year, he’s standing on the sidelines next to offensive tackle Jamain Stephens, who flopped as a first-round pick for the Steelers, and flopped as a free agent with the Bengals. Keep in mind both are BIG GUYS.
Special teams coach Al Roberts, evidently a fan of the “Addams Family” TV show, needed a couple of emergency substitutions in a drill.
“Hey, you, Lurch and Bigger Than Lurch, get out there!” Roberts screamed.
Bottom line: As a sports writer, you should never get “too close” to a player. Because they’re here today and gone tomorrow.
UNTIL NEXT TIME …
This is the Chickster saying, “Make love, not war; give peace a chance; and strawberry fields forever.”
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By Chick Ludwig
| Thursday, August 28, 2008, 10:27 AM
PLAYERS’ LAST CHANCE TO
MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION
===LUDWIG AT LARGE wants to know from loyal readers what you’ll be watching for tonight when the Bengals face the Indianapolis Colts at brand-spanking-new Lucas Oil Stadium at 7 p.m. (the game can be seen in the Dayton, Ohio, area on WKEF-TV (ABC, Channel 22) and heard on WTUE-FM (104.7). Here are a handful of things to watch for.===
OFFENSE
Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, acquired in a trade with St. Louis on “Cutdown Day” in 2007, will make his first start in a Bengals uniform. He’s an accurate passer with excellent mobility.
“Fitz” has been the club’s best QB in the preseason, completing 19 of 27 passes (70.4 percent) for 183 yards, 1 TD, no interceptions and a 101.3 passer rating.
“Fitz can play, man, I’m telling y’all,” wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. “He can run. He can throw. If somebody lets him be their starting quarterback, he’s going to be a star.”
Tailback Rudi Johnson is also due to make his season debut. He’ll be auditioning for 31 other clubs because he’s on the trading block.
DEFENSE
With “Cutdown Day” looming on Saturday when 22 players get “knifed,” tonight represents players’ FINAL CHANCE to make a strong impression.
I’ll be watching to see if the Bengals can contain the run, fly to the football, gang tackle … and pressure the quarterback.
Oh, yeah, and I’m wondering if we’re finally going to see defensive end Eric Henderson play.
Henderson, DT Michael Myers, LB Ahmad Brooks, CB Simeon Castille, TE Nate Lawrie and safeties Herana-Daze Jones, Kyries Hebert and John Busing are ON THE BUBBLE.
More than anything, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer wants to see EFFORT!
SPECIAL TEAMS
With rookie wide receiver Andre Caldwell nursing a sprained foot, Glenn Holt has emerged as the No. 1 kickoff returner.
But the punt return race between Antonio Chatman and Deltha O’Neal remains up for grabs.
OK, guys, who wants it more? We’ll find out tonight.
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By Chick Ludwig
| Thursday, August 28, 2008, 10:13 AM
A PERMANENT ‘VISIT’ TO
OSU’S ‘BUCKEYE GROVE’
Journalists are famous for their gallows humor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallows_humor
To amuse ourselves, we often make fun of death.
For example, when a person dies, I like to say they have a new occupation.
They”re “into real estate.”
Back in 1977-79, when I worked as a reporter for The News-Herald in the Cleveland, Ohio, suburb of Willoughby — covering Lake County — the city editor would yell “STIFF!!!” as loud as he could in the newsroom.
It was a signal for a reporter to approach his desk, grab the paperwork on a dead person, and get busy writing the obituary.
I thought about this “stiff” story when I called up the Yahoo! Web site the other day and saw this advertisement:
“If you died today, who would fund your family’s future?”
It got me to thinking about my 2 1/2 years in Willoughby — I lived in “The Wick” (Willowick, OH) — and an assignment during my J-School days at The Ohio State University (1972-76) when students had to write our OWN obits.
My obit: I was a sportscaster who died at the age of 44 from a heart attack.
Now that I’m 54, all I can say is: If I died today, I’d like a portion of my ashes spread in “Buckeye Grove” near the Buckeye Trees planted for All-Americans Archie Griffin and Vic Janowicz.
http://www.bucknuts.com/osuhistory/glossary.htm
MORE GALLOWS HUMOR
URGENT INJURY REPORT
Dateline: Dallas, Texas
Date: Nov. 22, 1963
Player: John F. Kennedy
Status: Questionable
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By Chick Ludwig
| Thursday, August 28, 2008, 09:04 AM
WORLD FAMOUS HIGH-WIRE ACT
AT JAKE SWEENEY AUTOMOTIVE
===LUDWIG AT LARGE wants to know: Have you ever seen “The Flying Wallendas” perform in person?===
Did you miss Rick Wallenda’s high-wire walking act at Kings Island this summer?
Well, he’s baaaack!
This time, at Jake Sweeney Automotive at 33 W. Kemper Road in Springdale.
“The Flying Wallendas” will perform at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 29-30, at “The Jake” auto dealership.
Think about it for a second … You can watch “The Flying Wallendas,” purchase a new or used car, and get to your favorite high school football game — all in the same night.
Who could pull off something like this?
None other than Andy Furman.
The former WLW-AM (700) and WFTK-FM (96.5) sports talk radio host is the new “Internet Director” for Jake Sweeney Automotive.
He’s also the greatest sports promoter this side of Arch Ward, Lefty McFadden and Don King.
“The Flying Wallendas are back!” Furman told LUDWIG AT LARGE via E-mail. “I called ‘em and got three sponsors to pay ‘em —.Izzy’s Famous Corned Beef, Fairfield Pizza and Bella Luna Restaurant.
“It’s free for everyone. They’ll be doing the death-act, pyramid event with 9 year-old Briana for the first time ever at an auto dealership in North America.”
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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.
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