KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Say all you want about Chad Ochocinco’s outlandish persona, but deep down, the man is a realist.
Sporting Kansas City welcomed Ochocinco here to their Swope Park training facility on Wednesday for the first day of a four-day trial in which the outspoken NFL wide receiver will try to shake off the rust and live his dream of playing soccer at an elite level.
And despite being eased into things, even Ochocinco acknowledged he was nowhere near the level of the other players with whom he was sharing the field.
“The only thing I’m probably good at is just being fast as hell,” Ochocinco said, surrounded by a mass of cameras, microphones and recorders. “That’s about it right now. To play this game there is an art to it, a skill to it. That skill takes a long time to perfect and master.
“That’s why they call it the beautiful game,” he added. “I’ve missed all that time, but I’ll see what ways I can contribute.”
With fans in Cincinnati Bengals No. 85 jerseys watching from behind a chain link fence and the press contingent out in full force to document the festivities, Ochocinco warmed up with the team before receiving some one-on-one instruction from assistant coach Zoran Savic.
He also played right forward for the reserves in a full-sided game.
He stood out in stature but was clearly off the pace of the rest of Sporting’s squad, which was hardly surprising. Kansas City just concluded preseason and Ochocinco has been stuck in labor limbo as the NFL and its players attempt to come to an agreement on a new CBA.
“I think he was a little bit hesitant early on, a little bit tentative,” manager Peter Vermes said. “Now I think he’s got a good feel for what a day goes like for us. Tomorrow, he’ll be in basically almost a full training with us so it should be much easier for him to know what to expect.”
[inline_node:330873]For his part, Ochocinco pretty much knew what to expect before he even landed in Kansas City. He said he spoke to both David Beckham and Thierry Henry, who told him to relax, have fun and just enjoy the opportunity.
“I ate the humble pie before I even landed,” he said. “Trust me. I understand how difficult this game is to play.”
Asked how his potential teammates received him – since he is technically attempting to make the team and possibly take a spot from another player – Ochocinco pointed out Sporting’s players don’t have much to fear from his presence.
Striker Teal Bunbury even took the NFL superstar to Oklahoma Joe's Tuesday night for a taste of one of Kansas City’s most treasured barbeque joints.
“I don’t think I’m going to take anybody’s job,” Ochocinco said. “It’s not going to happen. They’ve been playing this game for years, and I’m trying to make the transition between football and fútbol. To come in here and take somebody’s job is pretty farfetched.”
So does that mean Ochocinco’s presence in Kansas City after this Saturday, technically the last day of his trail, is farfetched as well?
The way Vermes put it, No. 85 will have to earn his keep just like any other player brought in on trial.
“If we like what we see, we’ll continue to keep him around,” Vermes said. “If he’s good enough, that would be the idea to offer him a contract. That’s the ultimate goal, right? At the end, he’s got to perform to get to that point.”
For his part, Ochocinco was a little more modest outlining his goals.
He said he was excited to continue sharpening his skills this week and would even be open to just training with team as a squad player until the NFL situation was resolved.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m able to stay. I don’t need to play, but maybe just to continue to hone in on my craft, continue to have fun and at some point be able to make the guys on this team better.”
