Is Chad Ochocinco rethinking plans to ride a bull?
The Cincinnati Bengals receiver, who last week accepted a challenge from Professional Bull Riding chief operating officer Sean Gleason to ride a bull at the Lucas Oil Invitational this weekend in Duluth, Ga., sure sounded like he was having second thoughts in posts to his Twitter account Friday night.
"After seeing those bulls up close, I'm (in trouble) #literally," Ochocinco tweeted, using an expletive.
Ochocinco, who earlier in the lockout had a tryout with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, will earn $10,000 if he rides a bull Saturday at the Gwinnett Center in suburban Atlanta. If he stays aboard for the required eight seconds, the PBR will give Ochocinco a new Ford F-150 and allow him to rename the bull.
"Ochocinco has been tweeting about riding a bull at the PBR event in Georgia for the last week," Gleason said in a release posted on Lucas Oil's website. "The Ford F-150 we're offering will be there, we hope he is too. He's a gifted athlete, but bull riding is a much different sport, and climbing on the back of a bull in the chutes takes a little more than Twitter confidence, let alone calling for the gate.
"We admire Ochocinco's interest in the sport. If he actually gets on and nods his head, he'll find out that two-a-days in the summer heat are nothing compared to the eight seconds faced by PBR bull riders week in and week out."
Ochocinco seems to understand that. Now.
NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp, a seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, asked Ochocinco via Twitter what was going on. His reply: "Sapp they are huge,fast,quick,powerful and agile in person,big mistake on my part."
And a few minutes later: "Words can't describe what i saw."
And, finally: "I close my eyes I'm still shaking from today's unfamiliar atmosphere of PBR. Sound of steel gates,bull,mounting,1 nod,gates open #GodBeWithMe."
Ochocinco had been confident after accepting the challenge, even tweeting that he'd name his bull after Bengals coach Marvin Lewis because "everything he says about me is #Bull(expletive) anyway."
As he conversed Friday with followers on Twitter, Ochocinco seemed to be regaining some of his swagger. Or at least making a good show of it. NFL Network studio host Rich Eisen tweeted to him: "chad, don't be a hero. No shame in saying it's not for you. Those beasts are monstrous."
"I will establish dominance," Ochocinco responded.
