Dolphin Tale
After an incredibly disappointing season in New England, Chad Ochocinco has moved on and signed with the Miami Dolphins. Â With the value of “The Ocho” at an all-time low, the last year reminds us of one cold, hard fact in dynasty leagues.
Everything comes to an end.
The player formerly known as Chad Johnson entered the league out of Oregon State and promptly surprised many by becoming one of the best receivers in fantasy and reality with the Bengals. From 2002-2007, few receivers were better as he posted over 8,000 yards and scored 48 touchdowns during that six year span. Carson Palmer and Ochocinco were a dynasty haven for points during that magical stretch and they won countless games and even championships for their owners. If not for Kimo Von Oelhoffen, they may have had a real title as well. However, his last four seasons have been mostly forgettable, save 2009 where he was able to record his seventh 1,000 yard season. His inevitable demise really reared its ugly head in last year’s disaster in New England.
The point of this article isn’t about judging the value of Ochocinco in dynasty leagues. While he could emerge as a starter in Miami, it’s clear his days of being truly relevant in dynasty leagues has passed. At this point last season, there was major hope he could emerge in New England as a serious playmaker, but those days seem like a long, long time ago. He could surprise with a few solid games for the Dolphins, but the 34-year old Ochocinco has lost a few steps and there seems to be genuine worry that he can pick up the offense in Miami. After all, he still didn’t have a clue in New England all the way up to his release.
The object of this article is really to remind all of us that we need to stop every once in a while and appreciate the game we have. The players we root for can be gone in an instant and it’s likely only then where we really appreciate what we’ve seen from them. After all, one of the all-time great fantasy football players in LaDanian Tomlinson called it quits earlier today.
In the dynasty league started by the founders of this site way back in 2003, Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson were two of my start-up draft picks. Nine years and six championships later, they’re both finally gone off my roster. I’ll always remember the run of the Bengals during that stretch and have some great Sunday memories of the Carson-to-Chad hookup.
That’s the point.
In a dynasty league, it’s easy to get caught up in trades, rivalries, rules, research, history and strategy. You can sit at your computer all day combing over stats and figuring out new rankings, tiers, or trying to find the next great pickup. After all, that’s part of the fun. In fact, some of you may not even watch the games and simply comb through that information all day long before realizing it’s Monday and you still haven’t had your Sunday breakfast. I’ve done it myself on a Sunday or two!  We can even take things personally and may get in an argument with a fellow owner over a botched trade, lineup decision or controversy over a rule.
We at DLF are as guilty as anyone of throwing as much information at you as possible – it’s what we’re here for! However, we all need to stop every once in a while and truly enjoy those magical performances we see on Sundays and, more importantly, the players we enjoy watching. They’re gone before you know it and replaced with that shiny new rookie toy – it’s the nature of dynasty leagues and anyone who has been in one understands the attachment you can have with a player.
We all have our favorites throughout the years. For us at DLF, that group includes the likes of Chad Ochocinco, Daunte Culpepper, Antonio Gates and John Elway. For you, maybe it’s Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice or Peyton Manning. While we wish some of these players would find the fountain of youth, Father Time is still undefeated.
I’ll always remember the ridiculous antics of Ochocinco. While some were truly stupid (Hall of Fame jacket, anyone), others were funny (the countless gifts to opposing cornerbacks). I’ll remember the Carson-to-Chad Sunday morning long bombs and Chad breaking down when teammate Chris Henry died tragically. While he’s now relegated to little more than a circus side show for HBO’s Hard Knocks, I’ll still tune in just to shake my head and roll my eyes one more time.
After all, he’ll be gone before I know it.
I’d like to do something a little creative with the comments on this post. The point of this article was obviously meant for us to take a moment this off-season and think back at some of the best memories we have of some of our dynasty players. Take a moment to share your favorite player or moment in your dynasty league. A one point victory? A magical performance? What moment in time resonates the most during your experience or which player have you rooted for the most in dynasty leagues? Let’s enjoy our unique community by sharing some of those great memories!
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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