From the OGOchoCinco Files: Tom Brady Is "Fine," Chad Gets a Preseason Fine, and Journalism Gets Redefined

Chad Ochocinco is about the perfect athlete for Twitter: He's alternately hilarious and annoying, possessed of fewer scruples than playoff wins, and is fully capable of posting anything that crosses his mind.

Occasionally, he's even helpful: Josh Q. Public noted that Ochocinco tweeted an update on Tom Brady's health last night. "Just got a call back from Tom Brady," Ochocinco tweeted, "Says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about."

Injury updates about a player coached by Bill Belichick? Surely you jest, cried NFL reporters.

Surprised I get more information than you do? Surely you're just a journalist, said Ochocinco.

Yahoo's Charles Robinson skeptically retweeted the original report; Ochocinco retorted with, "He wouldn't tell you for this reason, you're a journalist not a friend." The NFL Network's Rich Eisen wondered if Ochocinco was adding sportscaster to his titles; Ochocinco crowed about his access.

Then, today, when Ochocinco tweeted that he was fined $5,000 for an (admittedly frivolous, yet somehow newsworthy) uniform issue, ESPN's Chris Mortensen came to his defense, as did Mark Schlereth. Mort further cooed about Ochocinco, praising his "breaking" of the Brady news, naming him to a "favorite player" list, and imploring him, "Don't get down, we need you up!"

Certainly, any journalist is entitled to their opinions, and entitled to use Twitter to express them. But isn't it odd that while some view Ochocinco's reporting with cynicism, the ESPN employees seem to be sidling up to him?

Twitter and other social media have come along and removed filters from the gap between public figures and the public. If public figures want to go around the established media to do their own reporting, it is more possible now than ever before.

So it makes some sense, if having the most and best information first is the object, for any media outlet's reporters to curry as much favor as possible: A "friend" might get scoops the "journalist" won't. But the same favor that gets ESPN closer to the information might bring them too close to be objective.

And with ESPN's journalism already drawing derision this summer, this sort of complimentary behavior just seems like a complement to the network's line-blurring.

UPDATE: Ochocinco was at it again Saturday night, tweeting on the status of unsigned Bengals first-round pick Andre Smith.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.