We don't mean "prince," as in "heir to the throne." (Though that would be awesome -- imagine how the game would be played under NFL Commissioner Ochocinco.) We mean Prince, as in "Party Like It's 1999," Purple Rain, and that un-pronounceable symbol that earned him so much ridicule back in the day.
New England Patriots wide receiver and Miami Beach Senior High School football alum Chad Ochocinco also pissed off plenty of people when he changed his last name from Johnson to Ochocinco in 2008. But now that he's getting married, TMZ reported yesterday, The Athlete Formerly Known As Johnson plans to revert back to the name his mama gave him. Apparently, he doesn't want his wife to have a "made-up name."
We salute your name-changing ways, Chad, because it only confirms what we already knew: You and Prince are soulmates, or possibly separated at birth.
Personal expression
With his signature style and sound, and notoriously strict creative control over all his projects, Prince is an inimitable celebrity. Likewise, Ochocinco's always been his own man. Though he's mellowed significantly since joining the Pats, he was once known as one of the NFL's most outspoken players -- and he still shares his thoughts regularly on Twitter.
Sweet moves
Prince's rhythmic hip-thrusting is so potent that we have to take a pregnancy test every time we hear "Cream," just to make sure. But Ochocinco's got some sweet moves, too.
Acting skills
Or lack thereof. Have you seen Purple Rain? It may be the greatest terrible movie of all time, due mostly to Prince's over-the-top emoting. See also: Ochocinco's appearances on The League.
Massive egos
If you've ever heard Kevin Smith's account of working with Prince, you know the man has a massive ego. Our personal story of meeting Ochocinco confirms the same. Remember when the Super Bowl came to Miami in 2006? The Saturday before the game, we ran into Ochocinco, who was then still going by the name Johnson. He was standing outside the South Beach Starbucks at Alton Road and 16th, next to his illegally parked SUV, watching as his friends/lackeys stopped strangers on the street and asked them who they thought was the best wide receiver in the NFL. We imagine he falls asleep each night to a recording of all the people who responded with his name.
Incidentally, that was the same year Prince played the Super Bowl halftime show. Coincidence? We think not.
Stylish dressers
You already know Prince's groovy, industrial-meets-Renaissance approach to fashion. And as we learned earlier this year, Ochocinco's got style all his own.
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