Chad Javon Ochocinco seems much happier this season. Perhaps the Bengals winning a game before Week 9 has something to do with it. Because back in the day, before Carson Palmer's knee got Kimo-ed and Cincy was a playoff-caliber team, Mr. Ochocinco was always flapping his gums. Well, he's back. Chad told reporters earlier this week that he's going to make Steelers cornerbacks Ike Taylor and William Gay "kiss the baby" Sunday afternoon. Doesn't make much sense (which, by itself, isn't necessarily out the ordinary given the source), unless you caught the Bengals on Hard Knocks this summer. Apparently, it means "it's all over."
Taylor and Gay don't seem too concerned: "Tell him that's cool," Taylor said... "(Laughs) That's funny," said Gay when told the meaning.
It's also worth mentioning that that Taylor contained Ochocinco just about every time the two teams have met in recent years. In fact, as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly points out, "Ochocinco has had just one 100-yard game and three touchdowns against the Steelers since Taylor's rookie season in 2003."
Unfortunately, there's no mention of "kissing the baby" on the YouTubes, but I stumbled across something much, much better: Hard Knocks, episode 3: Rookie Skits. Specifically, the Andre Smith pro day reenactment. Quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen since Brandon Stokley took it to the house against the Bengals in Week 1.
And for comparison, the real Andre Smith, giggling his way through his predraft workout.
Good times.
