And now a different side of Ochocinco

For all who think that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is nothing but a self promotion, this may change your view.

We all know of the devistation that has gripped Haiti due to a 7.0 earthquake. There are many (and I mean many) that are willing to donote money to the relief effort that is being undertaken. Chad is no exception.

I am checking out my Twitter account when I see a tweet that shows a side of Ocho that usually doesn't get as much press as his "other" side.

A race for game checks, huh? I got Johnson in this one, but I don't think Ochocinco cares one bit if he loses. As of this post, Johnson has yet to answer the challenge.

Ochocinco was selected to replace injured New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

In the words of PTI's Tony Kornheiser, "who ya got?"

NFL Midseason Awards...and Others

We have (sort of) approached the halfway mark in the NFL season. And what goes along with that? The midseason awards! And a couple you might not have seen coming!

MVP - This is a tough call. The three that have my attention are all quarterbacks, Indy's Peyton Manning, New Orleans' Drew Brees, and Minnesota's Brett Favre. Yes, Favre. The Colts, Saints and Vikes are a combined 21-1, with Minnesota having the only loss. When it comes down to it, I'm opting for Manning. Unlike Brees and Favre, he does not have a running game to lean on.

Best Offensive Player - You can't go wrong with any of these guys: Titans RB Chris Johnson (just ask him), Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, or Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. The only knock on Johnson is not that he plays for a 1-6 team, but that of his league leading 824 yards, 425 of those yards have come in only two of the Titans seven games. Not totally his fault that Tennessse has given up so many points and had to abandonthe rush. Roethilsberger is interesting because we all used to view the Steelers as a run first offense. Can't anymore since the rushing game has sputtered since Jerome Bettis left. But I'm going with Rodgers. Despite being sacked a league leading 31 time, he still leads the NFL in passer rating. Better than Manning, Brees and Favre.

Best Defensive Player - I'm considering these three: New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, Minnesota's defensive end Jared Allen and Denver's "morph" Elvis Dumervil. Sharper has 7 int with 3 return TD. Allen leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks and Dumervil is right behind with 10. We all know what Allen brings to the table, massive intensity. But look at his line mates? Playing with the Williams guys and Ray Edwards will get you a better blocking matchup...and more sacks. Dumervil is more of a product of Mike Nolan's defensive system. My nod goes to Sharper whose been the biggest inluence on the Saints D.

Best Rookie - Minnesota's "do everything" Percy Harvin, Buffalo's CB Jairus Byrd and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing. Byrd is tied with Darren Sharper for the NFL lead with 7 INT, all coming in the Bills last four games. Byrd did not become a starter until week 3. Harvin does eveything for the Vikings. He catches and he returns kickoffs...to the tune of 5 TD overall. It's easy to go the way of Harvin, but I'm going with Cushing. He stands 6th in the NFL in total tackles (1st among rookies), and Cushing has been a major reason the Texans defense has improved this season.