Not to pimp myself, but yesterday I thought Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco's comments were really, really interesting.

The part I found most interesting was the self-realization when he was asked about being a leader: "you don't want me doing the ho-rah. You don't want me doing the team speech. No. No. I'm an odd-man out when it comes that."

I know it's not good in sports talk radio to say one of the team's best players shouldn't be a leader, but Chad shouldn't. And knowing that is very, very important.

And on that subject, I always hear about how Carson Palmer isn't a leader. Funny, I hear that from people not in the locker room. I always get a sense that he is -- in some very subtle, interesting ways. And what Chad said yesterday just solidified my opinion on that.

Chad was talking about his injury and how Carson Palmer was helping: "As soon as I got hurt, he told me to take it seriously. He thought I'd just go in there and get treatment. He said my rehab is actually a six-month process, which is the whole season. He told me even if I feel fine, pretend like I'm still hurt. He was right. As soon as I feel fine, like right now? I don't feel like going to rehab. They're forcing me to go, because I feel good. I'm back to lifting, I'm able to run, I'm lifting my normal weights. You keep pretending you're hurt and keep it strong."

Anyway, maybe it was just me, but he seemed sincere and there was less of the usual Chad B.S.

* As for what to call him, his name is legally Chad Ocho Cinco. When he gives Jack Brennan the word that he wants it changed on the roster, I'll go with just Chad Ocho Cinco. Until then, I'm not sure. He was asked yesterday what he wanted to be called in the paper and he kinda sidestepped the issue. There is precedent, remember Nick Luchey?

* It's officially Flacco for the Ravens on Sunday. If the Bengals don't win this game, it's going to be a really, really, really long season.

* As one person pointed out yesterday, it's going to be a really, really odd scene in Baltimore with no Jonathan Ogden or Willie Anderson on the field.

* Is there anything more exciting in sports than a Reds-Pirates series in September?

* Playoffs in Louisville and Dayton start tomorrow.

* I gotta say, I love the scoreboard intro for the Bearcats. (I'm a sucker for the Sopranos)

* One week in, the Bearcats are up in Big East rankings.

* My man Josh Katzowitz has another update on his UC football book.

* What a game last night. UCLA's been a sleeping giant -- just as USC was before Pete Carroll, and Rick Neuheisel may have been the exact right choice for them (and, well, Norm Chow helps, too).

* I wish I were still at my college daily just so I could have fun with the fact that a QB named Smelley is starting for South Carolina. Just sayin'

* I've got to admit, I do love me some 90210. Yeah, I'll probably watch the New 90210 tonight, but even if it stinks, at least it brings us some retrospectives of the old show -- even from the New York Times.

* Although my Georgia Bulldogs won on Saturday, my Nile C. Kinnick High School Red Devils were crushed, 35-0. My other high school team, the Flour Bluff Hornets dominated with a 38-14 victory, so that helped.

* Here's a handy guide to the new TV season.