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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > November > 08
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Ochocinco playfully tries to grease a ref’s palm
CINCINNATI — A greased palm sometimes works wonders. It might get you a table in a crowded restaurant or help you slip around the velvet rope at a trendy club.
But as Chad Ochocino found out Sunday, it won’t help you get a call from an NFL official.
….Now, if it were former NBA ref Tim Donaghy.
But hey that’s another story. And that was serious stuff that got Donaghy exchanging his referee’s shirt for another set of stripes.
What happened Sunday was all tongue-in-cheek fun, though the Cincinnati Bengals receiver likely will end up cutting another check to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been padding the league coffers with Ochocinco fines
The Bengals had a 17-0 lead on the Baltimore Ravens in the third quarter of their game at Paul Brown Stadium when Ochocinco made a leaping catch of a 15-yard pass from Carson Palmer right near the sideline.
The side judge ruled it a catch, but the Ravens challenged the call.
As the officials checked instant replay, Ochocinco — having borrowed a dollar bill from a guy on the sideline — playfully sidled up to the refs with the folded bill in his hand, which hung down at his side.
It didn’t work.
The call was overturned. Ochocinco was ruled not to have gotten both feet down in bounds on the catch. With a grin and a shrug, he handed the bill back to the guy on the sidelines and went back to helping the Bengals finish off their 17-7 victory.
In his post game press conference afterward, head coach Marvin Lewis was asked by a reporter: “When you’re talking about a veteran like Ochocinco…”
Lewis started to chuckle: “You throw that term around loosely when you’re talking about 85. I wouldn’t say ‘veteran.’ I think you can start over every day with him.”
TweetBengals overpower Ravens, but Chris Henry breaks arm
CINCINNATI — Although the Cincinnati Bengals toppled the Baltimore Ravens, 17-7, Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, the team received a big blow when receiver Chris Henry suffered a compound fracture of his left forearm.
Less than a minute into the second quarter — with the Bengals already leading 14-0 — Henry came across the middle, gathered in a 20-yard Carson Palmer pass and was tackled by Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington, who also was shaken up on the play.
The rolling Henry landed on the arm and when he tried lifting it up, you saw it flop sickeningly. Reports say the bone popped out through his skin near his wrist. His teammates — especially Palmer, fellow receiver Chad Ochocinco and guard Bobby Williams — gathered around him as he lay on the field.
When medical personnel came onto the field, Henry’s arm eventually was encased in an inflatable cast and he was taken off the field on a motorized cart.
On the season, the under-used Henry had 12 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
The injury to the fifth-year receiver was one of the few negatives for the Bengals Sunday as they man-handled the Ravens, the former bullies of the AFC North. It was the second time this season the Bengals have beaten Baltimore.
The Bengals are unbeaten in the AFC North. They are 4-0 in divisional play and are 6-2 on the season.
The Bengals points — all which were tallied in the first half — came on a six-yard TD catch by Andre Caldwell, a one yard TD run by Benson and a Shayne Grahan 23-yard field goal.
Benson rushed for 117 yards, his second 100 yard game aainst the vaunted Ravens defense this season.
Bengals cornerbacks Johnathon Joseph and Leon Hall both intercepted Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco.
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