Posted: 11:55 p.m.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported Tuesday night that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was fined what is believed to be an Ocho-record $30,000 for Sunday's stunt.
Fitting since it was The Ocho's pregame tweet to Schefter telling him he would do something to get himself fined that caught the attention of the league office.
Fitting, too, that Schefter also got the letter the NFL sent to The Ocho in the wake of celebrating his 36-yard touchdown catch against the Lions by slipping on a poncho and sombrero on the sidelines.
"I've been 5:30 a.m. Tweet buddies with Chad all year. We've got to be the only crazy guys up at that hour working," Schefter said. "Every Sunday without fail. I didn't know it would cost him that much but, you know what? I don't think he cares."
The Ocho couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday night, but that $100,000 pool he set aside this year for fines is close to being exhausted. Throw in the $20,000 he got fined for jokingly offering a ref a $1 bill while one of his catches was reviewed few weeks back, and that's already half for just two fines. Plus, he says he matches each fine with a check to charity. Last month, his iPhone application company sent a check to a California home for abused children.
"During the second quarter of the Bengals qame, you were observed gesturing for, and then wearing, a decorative poncho and sombrero in the bench area," the letter said, according to ESPN.com.
"Compounding your violation is the fact that your actions were premeditated and deliberate. Prior to the game on your publicly accessible Twitter account, you posted the following:
'@adam_schefter what I've planned for today will get me fined when I score but it's so worth it.' "
It must be because it's not stopping him.
Schefter said that Tuesday night The Ocho tweeted him that when he scores in Minnesota this Sunday he would blow the horn of the Vikings mascot. That would probably be another 30 grand because it is premeditation. But if the Viking is in the end zone, that would also be a 15-yard penalty because he can't use a prop in an end-zone celebration.
"I know this," Schefter said, "he's a man of his word."
Last month, Schefter hit Ochocinco with a tweet that predicted he wouldn't score a touchdown against Pittsburgh. The Ocho fired back that if he didn't, he would by Schefter a year's worth of wardrobe. The Ocho didn't get one, but Schefter let him off the hook by sending him a link for a clothing charity.
"I don't know what's going to happen this Sunday morning," Schefter said. "I enjoy tweeting with him as I do with anybody in the league."
