Chad Johnson calls out Smoot

http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/bengals/daily/0913bengals.html



Chatty Chad challenges Vikings' Smoot
Bengals' Johnson also pokes fun at Lewis
By Chick Ludwig

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | — Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson has a knack for stealing headlines ... and creating controversy.


Next game
Who: Vikings at Bengals.
When: 1 p.m. Sunday.
Radio: WTUE-FM (104.7).
TV: WRGT (FOX 45).

Another great example came in the wake of the Bengals' 27-13 victory at Cleveland.

On a day when backup tailback Kenny Watson was placed on Injured Reserve, ending his season following surgery to repair his torn right biceps, Johnson challenged Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot with a little trash talk.

He even poked some fun at Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis for being "too Tom Coughlin-like" with his discipline.

Johnson has been seated at Table One in Lewis' doghouse before. He might have another reservation there after asking the media to relay a message to Smoot, the player he'll face during the Bengals' home opener on Sunday.

"How good is he? He's a good talker," Johnson said. "He's a real good talker. He's a solid corner. As a matter of fact, can we send Fred a message?"

Johnson leaned forward and said: "Smoot, let's go. That's it. That's the message for this week."

Who's the better trash talker, Chad or Fred?

"That's a good question," Johnson said. "I don't know. We have to ask him. Smoot, who talks better trash? Make sure he gets that."

Johnson has a laminated sheet in his locker listing the cornerbacks he'll face this season. The names are under the headline: "Who covered 85 in 2005." Smoot's name is next.

Speaking of names, Johnson's idol — TV celebrity Oprah Winfrey — joined world-famous poet Maya Angelou in Dayton on Monday night. Johnson wished he could've been there to meet Winfrey. "Marvin said I can't go," Johnson said. "Blame everything on Marvin."

Johnson wasn't allowed to start against Pittsburgh on Sept. 21, 2003, because he showed up late for a team meeting. He finished with four catches for 77 yards that game — and hasn't been late since.

Lewis most recently dropped the hammer of discipline on tailback Rudi Johnson, benching him for the start of Sunday's game in Cleveland because he violated a team rule. Rudi missed the first series, then rebounded with 126 yards on 26 carries, including a 1-yard TD.

"He's too Tom Coughlin-like right now," said Johnson, comparing Lewis' disciplinary ways to the New York Giants head coach, whose heavy handedness with his former players in Jacksonville was legendary.

"As long as it's for the good, I don't have a problem with it," Johnson said.

What isn't working out so good is Johnson's diet. For all of his Pro Bowl talent, he's a junk-food junkie who doesn't take in enough water or Gatorade to keep himself properly hydrated. He needed two bags of intravenous fluid when he exited Sunday's game with cramps and dehydration in the third quarter.

"He's had the problem since he's been in the NFL (2001)," Lewis said. "It's not going to change overnight. We just have to keep addressing it. When it's a hot day out there like that, we've got to hopefully get through it. If not, we've got to do what we did. He's used to having it and we're used to dealing with it."

Quick hitters

• There's no chance offensive tackle Willie Anderson will become Chad Johnson's watchdog.

"Marvin is Chad's watchdog," Anderson said. "He's got his own leash, his own dog food, his own diamond collar for him and a dog house to put him in."

• Lewis hopes Rudi Johnson's benching sent the right message to the players. "There is an accountability that's important on any team," he said. "We don't want to be punitive, but I have to make sure I'm taking care of business the right way for everybody's sake. Hopefully, we'll never have to worry about that ever again with any of our players because it is too important."

With Watson out for the season, Lewis has several options with the open roster spot. Signing tailback Quincy Wilson off the practice squad is a strong possibility.

hmm

This pretty much sumed it up for me;

"Johnson's idol — TV celebrity Oprah Winfrey"

Any questions?

It's all fun and games until Antoine hits you in the mouth...

Johnson is a great receiver, but why is he trying so hard to be the next T.O.?
Go out, make plays and shut your mouth.

"RandyMoss8404" wrote:

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It's all fun and games until Antoine hits you in the mouth...

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Or Darren Sharper gives him a forearm to the head!

We here in Cincy agree. We love Chad Johnson and he is a dynamic receiver, but shut your mouth and play football. He's good enough for his play on the field to do the talking and providing the enemy material to get fired up on is just stupid on his part.

Smoot is a tough corner, it will be a great matchup.

I think C. Johnson is a little brighter than T-HO. He has more calculated moves that are meant to be funny it seems to me. It's no secret that Smoot likes to talk trash so he is just egging him on. Kinda funny. I would prefer that they just play the game, but for some reason some people know how to talk smack and some should just watch the masters. I'm not sure which category C. Johnson is in yet, but I'm willing to bet that Smoot could bury him in a BSing session....we'll see what happens on the field. The peptobismol episode last year resulted in C. Johnson getting shut down if I remember correctly.

"oldschoolmikey" wrote:

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Johnson is a great receiver, but why is he trying so hard to be the next T.O.?
Go out, make plays and shut your mouth.

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Because he is Keshawn's cussin :roll:

Chad is a stud. I've known him for quite a few years, and he is easily one of the top 4 WR in the league.