Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are together in Cincinnati now, possibly giving the Bengals one of the strongest receiving pairs in the entire NFL. I am not sure how TO ended up in Cincinnati, but it certainly makes for an intriguing combination. From a business standpoint, the Bengals took a potentially profitable gamble. The goal of any organization is to fill the stands, and there are fewer sports brands stronger than Chad and Terrell.

Ultimately, winning games is what matters most, and they've done that so far. Their first preseason game against the Eagles ended with TO having a solid comeback performance, with three catches for 67 yards in the first half alone. Ochocinco didn't do nearly as well, but even the best receivers have off days.

I am not sure what to think about TO and Ocho. Part of me becomes a bit annoyed with the modern day minstrel show that they put on for their non-black audience. This is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years, where big buck black men dance and smile to make white folks happy. TO and Ocho are good for entertainment purposes only, and their star will fizzle as each man reaches his late thirties.

On the other hand, I see these two guys as misunderstood men in a world that judges black male athletes in ways that don't make much sense. I am not sure if TO should have been vilified and ostracized in the way that he has been thus far, and he deserves the opportunity to help a team win championships. For some reason, the world decided that he was a bad person, and for black male athletes, that's the only indictment you need to see an end to your career.

If I were the management at Cincinnati, I would have taken a chance on bringing these two great athletes together. Their talent is short-lived, but strong. They are experienced, they fill the seats, and they know how to win. This is the kind of combination that can bring a championship to Cincinnati. I expect this to be a very interesting season.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.