This Week in Sports :: September 8-12, 2008

Chad Ochocinco

Chad Johnson's nickname has long been "Ocho Cinco". Now it's his real name, as he legally changed it to Chad Ochocinco! Read up on this wacky revelation!

Chad Johnson Changes Name

We all knew Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver, Chad Johnson, loved his nickname "Ocho Cinco". But we had no idea he loved it so much that he legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco last week! "Ocho Cinco" means "eight-five" in Spanish and symbolize his jersey number. Even though Chad Ochocinco is now his real name, the NFL has refused to put "Ochocinco" on the back of his jersey and will stick with the usual C. Johnson instead. The league stated Chad missed the deadline for the name change so he would have to pay back Reebok (who makes the jerseys) for any unsold merchandise of his old jersey if they were to change it. Plus we're sure the NFL does not want to encourage other players to follow this ridiculous trend.

Brady Injured for the Year

The New England Patroits' hopes to redeem themselves and win the Super Bowl took a drastic turn on Sunday, when star quarterback Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury. In the Patriots' season opening game against Kansas City, Brady was hit in his left knee by the Chiefs' safety Bernard Pollard. After the game, it was revealed that Brady would need surgery and would miss the rest of the season. Brady is the reigning league MVP and led the Patriots to a 16-0 regular season record before losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. Backup quarterback Matt Cassell is expected to start at quarterback on Sunday when the Patriots play the New York Jets.

Serena Wins Open

With top-ranked Ana Ivanovic falling early in the U.S. Open, the women's top slot was up for grabs. In the end it was seventh-ranked Serena Williams who walked away with the hardware as she defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the U.S. Open. The victory has made Serena the new number one women's tennis player in the world. Roger Federer won the men's side as he topped Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to win his 13th straight Grand Slam title and fifth straight U.S. Open. Federer became the first player in history to have five consecutive wins at both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

Notes Around the Sports World

Ohio State running back and Heisman Trophy candidate, Chris "Beanie" Wells, is doubtful against the Buckeye's big game against USC on Saturday. The Ohio State star has soreness in his right foot. USC is currently ranked first in the country while Oklahoma is ranked third.

Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns has announced that he will retire from the NBA after his contract expires after two seasons.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are running away with the NL West lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers have won nine of their last 10 games and now hold a four game lead over the Diamondbacks with about 16 games left in the season.

This Week in Sports :: August 25-29, 2008

This Week at the Olympics :: August 22