Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco appeared on ESPN yesterday to talk soccer and he made a bold proclamation. The Pro Bowler, who is a Sporting Kansas City fan, said if given the chance he would make the team.
“Sporting KC is dope. You know what, now, if I was able to get that trial with Sporting KC now, I would make the team.”
“My touch and my skill has come back. I hadn’t played football in the past five years and I’ve been playing back on the pitch the past five years.”
The idea may seem farfetched, but Ochocinco had a legitimate chance at making Sporting KC five years ago. He had a trial with the team, played in a reserve game and was ultimately not offered a contract by the team.
While he didn’t make the club then, if Ochocinco is in better shape, and has practiced playing soccer over the past five years, maybe he does have a better shot at making the club. That’s unlikely however, as while Ochocinco was a great professional American Football player, it’s super rare for an athlete to be a two-sport star. Plus, Sporting KC isn’t a rec league team, it’s an MLS team — and a good one to boot, winning the MLS Cup in 2013.
Too many things work against Ochocinco. He’s 38 years old and brings plenty of attention with him, both good and bad, even if he’d be playing a bit role on the club. As fun as it would be to see him play for the club, there are too many reasons why it wouldn’t work at all. Ochocinco’s claim isn’t legitimate, and it appears to be an attempt by him to stay newsworthy.
