By TomE. Curran
CSNNE.com
DALLAS - If Chad Ochocinco ever did play for the Patriots - and that's a titanic "if" - he believes Bill Belichick would let him continue to be the same outrageous, entertaining, real-life cartoon he's turned himself into. "(Belichick) knows if have a different style," Ochocinco said Tuesday during the closing moments of Super Bowl Media Day. "He also knows when it's time to play the game, I'm down to business. He knows that. Now my style is completely different than those others and he knows that."Despite Belichick knowing that, did he believe Belichick would attempt to rein him in and make him more Chad than Ocho?"I think he would allow me to be myself because when I'm allowed to be myself I'm at my best," he professed.
So far this offseason, Ocho's tenuous relationship with head coach Marvin Lewis has fractured further. Last week, he also swiped at Bengals owner Mike Brown, insinuating on Twitter that the employees in Cincinnati care more than the business owner about success. Ocho tried to cover his tracks on that front with his answer to my first question about Belichick. "We're very fond of each other," Ocho said of Belichick. "I have respect for him. It's out of my control. I have the utmost respect for Mike Brown and the organization. They are the ones that gave me my chance. They're the ones that gave me the chance to be in the NFL and wear those stripes. "While I'm under contract, I don't want to rub anyone the wrong way but I do have tremendous respect for Bill," Ocho added. "Not just him but everyone I've come into contact with or had the opportunity to speak to on a personal level. That's why we have such a fond respect for each other. Bill and I had a chance to meet in Hawaii. We had conversations that had nothing to do with football which is why our relationship is at the point it is now. People don't even understand."Probably not. ButOcho's constant flirtations - amusing and news foddery as they may be - are eventually going to get somebody's wrist slapped.Tom E. Curran canbe reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Tom on Twitter at http:twitter.comtomecurran