Ochocinco fined $20K for $1 "bribe"

Chad Ochocinco is going to need 19,999 more dollars bills for the NFL.

The league office fined the Bengals wide receiver $20,000 for flashing a dollar bill at an official during a third-quarter replay review in last Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Also drawing the ire of the NFL league office was his use of the word “bribe” during postgame remarks.

NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson imposed the fine on Ochocinco for violation of a rule that prohibits use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward game officials, as well as a rule that prohibits possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform while on the field or sideline during the game.

In a letter to Ochocinco, Anderson said: “The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming an NFL Player.”

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis understands the NFL’s stance.

“I think as I told Chad when I heard what occurred, you don’t fool with the integrity of the game in the NFL,” Lewis said. “We’re not WWE and so forth. This is a serious game for serious people. He realizes he made a very big error in judgment and is sorry for it. From the league’s standpoint, they can’t have any copycat deal so they made a pretty firm statement.”

This is the third fine of the season for Ochocinco, who also was penalized $7,500 and $10,000 for chinstrap violations.