TapouT Sponsors Football Star Chad Ochocinco
Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochocinco should be somewhat familiar to UFC fans for his history of challenging MMA fighters to bouts, including middleweight champ Anderson Silva. Now he's been signed by the pioneering MMA apparel company Tapout.
Jonathan Snowden has more at SBNation:
...TapouT is a multi-million dollar company, one quickly expanding outside the boundaries of mixed martial arts. Since being acquired by Authentic Brand Groups last year, an already aggressive diversification plan has been ramped up to warp speed. Everyone in the company stresses that MMA will always be the foundation. They see this less as moving on to other sports and more bringing MMA culture to the mainstream. Today you'll see the distinct TapouT aesthetic in Nascar, in the movie theater, and with the recent signing of football star Chad Ochocinco, on the gridiron as well.
"It freaks people out a little because it isn't MMA," TapouT founder Tim "SkySkrape" Katz said. "It goes all the way back to the start with Charles ("Mask" Lewis), Dan ("PunkAss" Caldwell), and myself. We always talked about at one point being big enough to branch out and start sponsoring other sports. Ochocinco, he's a character as well as a great athlete. That's what we're going after. The kind of characters who can grab people's attention. I like it. I always talked about how I wanted to change my name from Tim Katz to SkySkrape. Like Prince. Like Madonna. Like Ochocinco. Dude changed his name to Ochocinco. He's got to be a character. We love that. I'm glad he's part of the team. He's a perfect fit."
It will be very interesting to see how TapouT's efforts to diversify fare.
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It's to bad Chad has fallen off
this would have been a better thing for Tapout a few years back, still a cool sign.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
Thinkin the same thing, but I think 85 gets enough publicity regardless of performance to make this a good sign for TapouT
Twitter - @PieWithCoolWhip
Legalize MMA in New York.
Legalize marijuana nationwide.
Yup
he’s still the most visible receiver in the league, even if I don’t want him on my fantasy team anymore.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Jun 15, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
IDK about that
Hines Ward just won Dancing with the Stars. T.O. is pretty visible too. Chad doing snake charming, bullriding and polka dancing isn’t really all that visible.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Jun 15, 2011 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
c'mon
TO is even more washed up than Chad, and Hines Ward is less important, talented and well known than Pittsburgh fans would like you to believe.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Jun 15, 2011 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude
He won that fucking dancing show. That’s HUGE. Old bitties who don’t even like football love him now.
TO is more washed up, but we’re talking visible.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Jun 15, 2011 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
T.O. is more washed up? I must politely disagree.
Rec. YDS YPC Long TD’s
Terrell Owens 72 983 13.7 78 9
Chad Ochocinco 67 831 12.4 42 4
If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.
Alright, I guess the stats say I'm wrong
If I were fielding a team for next year, I’d still take Chad over TO, but I didn’t realize TO was that productive last season.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Jun 15, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
If it makes you feel any better
Chad claims it was because he was double teamed on every play last year.
If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.
I’m an Indy fan. But Hines Ward is pretty much as talented as everyone says. I’d have a tough time choosing between he and my boy Wayne.
"Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth."
Chris McCandless A.K.A. Alexander Supertramp
1968-1992
That's insane
Reggie Wayne is one of the best WRs in the league, and Hines Ward has spent many years not being the best WR on his own team. He’s a tough guy and he’s clutch and I know every sports announcer on earth loves the fact that he smiles all the time, but that little dude has gone through long stretches of not being the best receiver on his own team.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Jun 15, 2011 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s more about attitude. Wayne whines about Peyton not throwing to him against the Jets when he’s LOCKED DOWN by Revis all game. That pisses me off. The dude may be the greatest player ever, let him make his own choices. And Ward would actually do something for our run game instead of taking every run play off.
"Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth."
Chris McCandless A.K.A. Alexander Supertramp
1968-1992
Caption is unrelated
Charity-minded callers are getting intercepted by a phone-sex line because of a typo on Chad Ochocinco’s Cereal boxes. Kroger Co. said Thursday it was pulling all Ochocinco cereal boxes from its grocery shelves because of the error.
Awesome
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
Pretty much the same thing, really
In either case they give up some money and end up feeling pretty good about themselves.
Fas est et ab hoste doceri. (Right it is to be taught, even by the enemy) ~Ovid
by Damnatio Memoriae on Jun 15, 2011 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I work for Kroger
That shit was effin hilarious
Bob Sapp vs. Rodrigo Nogueira Bob "The Beast" Sapp is 400 pounds, and if 300 pounds of it aren’t pure steroids, then someone has got to be fucking kidding. -SeanBaby
I’m not sure athletics has much to do with it. I don’t know if Johnson’s profile has ever been higher.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jun 15, 2011 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
He’s just as popular now then he was in 2006. His football skills my not be where they were but he’s doing the reality shows and all of that which is making him more popular.
Shut up, Tito.
by TruthSeeker1223 on Jun 15, 2011 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Gotta start somewhere
Sponsorships are just marketing, and even people that don’t follow football know who Ochocinco is. For a first step into another sport that’s huge with the Male, 18-30-whatever demographic, it’s not a bad start.
Fas est et ab hoste doceri. (Right it is to be taught, even by the enemy) ~Ovid
by Damnatio Memoriae on Jun 15, 2011 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
looks like I'll be removing the TapouT sticker from the back of my car
by polevaultking on Jun 15, 2011 4:22 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I've got some extra Bad Boy's layin around if you're looking to replace.
It takes great work and thinking to keep from doing work.
by tito (eight and oh) on Jun 15, 2011 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Ocho isn't relevant anymore
That’s why TapouT signed him.
I love Ocho
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it. ... Always a ninja
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If you guys get the chance
I hope you can click over and read the complete article. Ochocinco is just a piece of the company’s transformation.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jun 15, 2011 9:40 PM EDT reply actions

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