Chad Johnson + Deer = Must Watch TV

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2267038

CINCINNATI -- Chad Johnson is dreaming of a whitetail Christmas.

The Bengals receiver suggested Tuesday that he has a special touchdown celebration planned for Cincinnati's game on Christmas Eve, one that will top his Riverdance, his end zone putt and his sideline proposal from earlier this season.

A surrogate reindeer, perhaps?

"On the highway, I hit a deer," Johnson said Tuesday, insisting he was serious and that the animal wasn't hurt. "I kept him. He's at home in the garage. I'm going to use him for the celebration this weekend. He's a prop. They might suspend me for the last game, but I think this one is worth it."

Even if Johnson is serious -- and, with him, there's no telling -- coach Marvin Lewis would certainly put his foot down. So Johnson's scheme may never get beyond the talking stage.

He wasn't joking about his desire to come up with a celebration that will keep fans talking long after the Bengals' last regular-season home game.

Fans in Detroit booed when he merely handed the ball to an official following his touchdown during a 41-17 victory Sunday that clinched the AFC North title. It was only the second time this season that he didn't celebrate a touchdown -- the other came when the officials needed time to decide if he had scored, spoiling the moment.

"But this Saturday, I'll be back to my old self," he said. "You can look forward to the celebration being part of something that has to do with Christmas. It's going to be fun. I might get in trouble, so I might as well let that out now. I might get in trouble for what I'm going to do, but it's worth it."

Johnson was excited by the thought of getting a deer into the end zone routine. His Riverdance brought him national attention as a hoofer. Now, he's fixated on hooves.

"This is going to be the greatest celebration of all time, man," he said. "I actually use an animal."

You've got to love The Chad.

I can just see PETA now...............

Tale Gator said:

You've got to love The Chad.

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No, you don't.

I greatly respect his ability as a WR and enjoy watching him play, but his sideshow act is stale. Is he a football player, or a circus clown?

I always look forward to clowns getting JACKED UP!

People can say what they want but it wasn't until this clown came with his endzone dances that The Bengals started to win.

i like watching chad's celebrations because of his personality. he's a fun and energetic kid and does those things for the fans. "Fans in Detroit booed when he merely handed the ball to an official following his touchdown". most fans by now have gotten a chance to see him in interviews or hear him being talked about by people that know him, and know that what he does & how he plays is out of good will and in the spirit of having fun.

that's completely different from T.O. who's celebrations are done to disrespect. posing on the star in dallas, doing ray lewis's dance in baltimore, signing a football for his agent, etc.

that said, i am now pretty curious about what he does this weekend. i hope it's something as creative as he's promising (and hope he scores a td of course).

All his celebrations have been harmless, just stupid humor, nothing offensive that I can think of.....

Double Barrel said:

No, you don't.

I greatly respect his ability as a WR and enjoy watching him play, but his sideshow act is stale. Is he a football player, or a circus clown?

I always look forward to clowns getting JACKED UP!

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I'd hardly put him on the level of a circus clown perhaps a rodeo clown, but i've yet to see him wear a wig or makeup. For all his antics (mailing pepto, etc...) he's surprisingly well thought of around the league, it's rare to hear anyone really get on his case.

I'm not down on CJ. My pov comes from the fact that I see more of his endzone celebrations on ESPN than his actual gameplay. They highlight his little antics over and over and over, but it overshadows his actual contributions in the media.

Then the talking heads go on and on and just fawn over the guy, because of his look-at-me-celebrations (and you know that's what they're about). That's the part that gets stale. If he just celebrated and that was that, I'd have no problem with it. It's the media circus, and distraction away from actual football, that causes me to say "auurgh".

I tend to like him, and think he's just having fun, but....

Football is the ultimate team sport, I have a problem with guys like him taking credit for a great play when the guys blocking were just as important as him running and catching.

swisher said:

I tend to like him, and think he's just having fun, but....

Football is the ultimate team sport, I have a problem with guys like him taking credit for a great play when the guys blocking were just as important as him running and catching.

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Exactly, swisher. Well said.

swisher said:

I tend to like him, and think he's just having fun, but....

Football is the ultimate team sport, I have a problem with guys like him taking credit for a great play when the guys blocking were just as important as him running and catching.

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I could be wrong, but didn't Chad Johnson say that he felt Carson Palmer should win MVP? Is that not giving credit where credit is due?

Chad Johnson has a Td catch this game already, does anyone happen to know what the reindeer thing turned out to be?

I heard he had a bag of gifts and started throwing them in the crowd.

swisher said:

I tend to like him, and think he's just having fun, but....

Football is the ultimate team sport, I have a problem with guys like him taking credit for a great play when the guys blocking were just as important as him running and catching.

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more than one player involved in the celebration is unsportsmanlike conduct. chad's celebrations impact his team positively (who reportedly love it) and the fines only affect himself negatively (which he apparently sees as a fair trade) ... a penalty hurts the whole team. with a WR, he's usually not near the rest of the team ... would you rather wait for the 310lb linemen to run down thirty yards down the field and then play rock/paper/scissors to see who gets to dance?

i know what you mean swisher & i agree about the team aspect, i just think this is a different situation because of chad's attitude & work ethic. marvin said last week on total access that chad is first in & last out at practice and puts as much or more time in than even the coaches. he just seems to be more worried about getting the bengals on espn, not his own face time.

Chad is great. His work ethic is tremendous, and when he scores (which he always does) then he has fun. You don't see his celebrations without seeing the touchdown, so I'm not totally sure what the problem is. No one is telling you to watch the celebrations, it's all part of the show.

And Chad throwing gifts to the crowd, a very classy move.

Scooter said:

i know what you mean swisher & i agree about the team aspect, i just think this is a different situation because of chad's attitude & work ethic. marvin said last week on total access that chad is first in & last out at practice and puts as much or more time in than even the coaches. he just seems to be more worried about getting the bengals on espn, not his own face time.

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I agree...I don't have any problems with him really. This is entertainment afterall.

But...If my son ever plays football and is skilled enough to score a touchdown or two, I will teach him that he should act like he's been there and toss it to the ref.

The irony is, I actually got in trouble for what I did after scoring a touchdown when I was in high school. I had always thought that the coolest thing about the Earl Campbell run against the Dolphins on MNF was when he got to the endzone he just dropped the ball and walked back to the sideline. So that's what I did...I scored and ran to the back of the endzone and just dropped the ball. The ref yelled at me and said next time toss it to him.