Dream a Little Dream

He is arguably one of the most polarizing athletes in sports today. Why is it that we love to hate Chad Ochocinco? Perhaps it's because he had the audacity to change his last name. (Oh wait - has he gone back to Johnson? I can't keep up).  Or maybe it's because of his choreographed end zone celebrations, his VH1 reality dating show (coincidently, he's now engaged to another reality show star Evelyn Lozada from Basketball Wives), or his Batman and Robin-esque T.Ocho Show. And now, he's trying out for a spot on a Major League Soccer team - Sporting Kansas City.

Before you say this is just another publicity stunt, and while I agree that Chad Ochocinco seems to love and bask in the limelight, is he not allowed to have goals and dreams outside of football?

Many will argue that he's being paid millions of dollars to be a top NFL wide receiver. And while you may say that his non-football pursuits have detracted from his game, don't you have hobbies and interests outside of your 9-5 job? So why should an athlete like Chad Ochocinco be any different? And since there are no OTAs or other organized team activities, what better time than now for him to go after a dream?

On Monday, Chad Ochocinco played in his 1st organized soccer game since the 10th grade, running with Sporting Kansas City's reserve team. In Matt Moseley's article on SI.com, Ochocinco was quoted as saying,"It's been a dream come true for me to be on the pitch, man, with so many of these guys who are elite athletes at the top of their game. I enjoyed it."

Source: KansasCity.com

He went on to say, "I'm satisfied," he said. "My dream has been answered, to be able to come onto the pitch and play for an MLS team. It doesn't have to be against someone professional. Just to be out here was enough for me. I can go home. I can die tomorrow and be satisfied. I can go to heaven and tell God, 'Man, I played professional soccer and I'm good."'

Wow. How many of us can say that we got a chance to live out our dreams? So instead of bashing Ochocinco, I will argue that we should look to him for inspiration. Whether it is a taking cooking class, pursuing a graduate degree, running a marathon, or starting a sports blog :-), know that it's never too late to go after your dreams.

Tell me - what are your dreams? Now what are you waiting for? Go for it!