Most people remember a few years back when Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson put “Ocho Cinco” on the back of his jersey and was subsequently fined by the NFL for having something other than his last name on the jersey.  Well, according to Sportingnews.com, the human highlight reel may be taking steps towards making that his legal last name.  No, you didn’t read that wrong.  He’s literally changing his last name to Ocho Cinco.  So when he said in an interview with ESPN last week that he had a surprise for the world when they kicked off the year against the Ravens, he probably wasn’t lying.

“We’ve learned that Johnson has taken the first steps in the state of Florida toward legally changing his last name to Ocho Cinco.

If Johnson follows through on this, his actual, legal name will be Chad Ocho Cinco, and the NFL would then (we assume) allow him to put his new last name on the back of his jersey.”

If this happens, the whole NFL world is going to officially flip upside down.  This is better than that douchebag who changed his name to Peyton Manning after the Colts smacked the Bears in the Super Bowl.  This is Chad taking the level of celebration/ego and raising it to impossible heights.  Give the man credit; he’s an entertainer and he knows his job is to make people laugh while he burns secondaries and dances in the endzone.  Other guys are out causing trouble in clubs (yes I just made a gross generalization, ignore it) and Chad Johnson is sitting at home thinking of celebration ideas for week five against the Cowboys.

I’ll make this clear; if Chad Johnson actually changes his name to Ocho Cinco, I will be the first in line to buy his new jersey.  What’s not to like about a guy with so much swagger that he changes his freaking name to his number.  While I know this is all still preliminary, I’m holding out my hope.  Do it Chad.  Change your name and send a message to the NFL and Roger Goodell that you can’t be touched and that Ocho Cinco is the man.

Michael Johnson: The five time Olympic gold medalist is turning 40 today. Throughout the 1990s, Johnson was one of the most dominant sprinters in the world. He won gold at Barcelona in 1992 and followed that up with two golds in both Atlanta and Sydney. He remains the world record holder in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4 x 400 relay.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: The Red Sox “rookie pitcher” and MVP of the inaugural World Baseball Classic is 27 today. Matsuzaka entered Major League Baseball with tons of fanfare after being signed by the Red Sox for $52 million in the offseason. He’s posted a 14-12 record this year with an ERA over 4.

Bernie Williams: The unofficially retired Yankees outfielder is turning 39 today. Williams played his entire career with the Yankees, winning four World Series titles and setting the MLB record for most homers in the postseason with 22 career jacks. He’s also a budding jazz musician.

Jesse Owens: One of the greatest athletes in history would have celebrated a birthday today. Owens died in 1980 but his legacy continues to live on whenever people think of great Olympic moments. While the 1936 Olympics were set to display Aryan supremacy, Owens stole the show, winning four gold medals.

Yao Ming: The Chinese basketball player is 27 today. Yao was selected 1st overall in the 2002 NBA Draft and has emeraged as one of the game’s best centers. However, health problems and an inconsistent supporting cast have prevented Yao from ever winning an NBA Playoff series.

Ki-Jana Carter: The former Penn State star and NFL bust is 34 today. Carter was the 1st overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft but failed to live up to expectations. After tearing his ACL during his first preseason, Carter appeared in just 57 games during his career, barely eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark for his career.

Tom Landry: One of the NFL’s legendary coaches would have been 82 today. Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys for 28 seasons, guiding them to two Super Bowl titles, five NFC titles, and 13 division titles. Aside from his coaching success, his style on the sidelines also lives on in NFL lore.

Ed Reed: The Ravens’ all-pro safety is 29 today. After starring at Miami, Reed was selected by Baltimore in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He’s made three Pro Bowls and was named the 2004 AP Defensive Player of the Year. In last night’s loss to the Bengals, Reed returned a punt for a touchdown, even though he’s not a regular punt returner.

Jeff Sluman: The PGA veteran is turning 50. Sluman has ten professional wins and one major title, winning the 1988 PGA Championship. He’s one of the countless PGA players I could walk past on the street and not recognize.

Latrell Sprewell: The retired guard is turning 37 today. Sprewell was one of the more talented players in the NBA during his heyday but often screwed it up by being a jackass. Whether it was choking out his coach or demanding money to feed his family, Sprewell always seemed to screw things up. He’s averaged 18 points a game in his career.

Maurice Cheeks: The 76ers head coach and former NBA point guard is 51. Cheeks previously coached the Portland Trail Blazers before being hired by the Sixers in 2005, the team he played with for 11 years. Cheeks helped lead the 76ers to three trips to the NBA Finals, winning it in 1983.

Wali Lundy: The unemployed running back is 24 today. After breaking the ACC record for most rushing touchdowns in a career, Lundy was drafted in the 6th round by the Texans. His rookie year saw him get some playing time after Domanick Davis Williams got injured. He ran for nearly 500 yards but was released in the offseason.

Al McGuire: The late basketball coach would have celebrated his birthday today. A 1992 inductee into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, McGuire died in 2001. He is most remembered for coaching Marquette for more than ten years. Marquette has since named their basketball arena after him.

Antonio McDyess: The Pistons forward is 33 today. McDyess was the 2nd overall pick in the 1995 draft by the Clippers. However, he was traded before his rookie season began for Rodney Rogers and the pick that would become Brent Barry. He won a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics.

Jason Isringhausen: The Cardinals’ closer is 35. “Izzy” had stints with the Mets and A’s before arriving in St. Louis as a free agent in 2002. In 2004, his 47 saves led Major League Baseball. After losing his job to Adam Wainwright late last year, Isringhausen has rebounded and pitched very well in 2007.