FLORHAM PARK - Darrelle Revis was hurt by Chad Ochocinco's remarks last week, and since Mark Sanchez was playing Rocky music in the winning locker room Sunday night, let us borrow a scene from the original to explain why. "You know how I said that stuff on TV didn't bother me none?" Rocky Balboa asked Adrian after Apollo Creed had played him for a press conference fool. "Yeah," she said. "It did." So yes, Ochocinco's verbal hooks and jabs bothered Darrelle Revis, nobody's idea of a club fighter. They bothered him a lot. "Because one, you just feel like he doesn't respect you," Revis told The Record on Tuesday. "On Twitter he gave me compliments and, 'Oh, he's the best corner, but if I do this then I'm going to get him.' Yeah, it lit a fire in my heart, just to try to dominate him." And dominate him in a 37-0 triumph, Revis did. "You're not just going to talk down to me like that," the Jets' cornerback said. With Saturday's rematch in Cincinnati framed by win-or-else stakes, Revis understands that it was just Chad being Chad, that Ochocinco is auditioning hard for a second career as the Charles Barkley of the NFL. Only Revis also believes there should be a code of honor among pros, a code Ochocinco violated when he tweeted that he would run "wild on Revis island," and said the corner couldn't cover him "in a brown paper bag, on a corner of a Manhattan street, inside a phone booth." Ochocinco did it all with a smile, but each dig inspired Revis to sink his teeth deeper into his mouthguard and, ultimately, to pitch a perfect game against an opponent who loves the long ball. "It was disrespectful," Revis said, "and yeah, I did take it to heart a little. That's just something that you don't do. You compete, you say what you've got to say, but we are professionals here. "You just give the other guy credit, even if you get 160 yards and catch two touchdowns. You got me that day, but I'm still a good player. I think he just didn't show me that respect." Revis spent part of Tuesday at a lectern calling Ochocinco a "classy, funny guy," reminding the media that their on-field discourse was civil, and praising his opponent's talent for running precise routes. But when asked if his dominance of Ochocinco gave him a mental edge in this wild-card matchup, Revis said, "Yeah, I think so." The cornerback also quoted Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who said Ochocinco's ego was bruised in Giants Stadium far worse than his knee. Listen, Revis is no more hotheaded than Derek Jeter. In fact, he carries himself with the same dignity and grace. "You never see any negative things on [Jeter]," Revis said, "and that's the type of guy I want to be." That doesn't mean Revis' strength - his quiet, levelheaded approach - should be mistaken for weakness. At 5 feet, 11 inches, 198 pounds, Revis is as tough as the western Pennsylvania mill town that delivered him to Pitt and then to the Jets.
aw man, I thought Revis knew it was all in fun. What about all the twitter pics after the game where OC as poking fun at himself being lost on Revis Island with everyone else?
"You never see any negative things on [Jeter]," Revis said, "and that's the type of guy I want to be." Best part of the article IMO.
All-in-fun is Chad Ochocinco' in a nutshell, and I love him for it. But that's not who Darrelle Revis is. Revis' attitude is "I will be the best cornerback in the history of the NFL." That takes a serious man.
so if your a player you would want to see on espn someone saying you cant cover him in a brown paper bag and all that nonsense.. yeah he knows it was all in fun but I know I wouldnt want to hear it
are you asking me personally? I'd like to think my attitude would be more like Ocho, and I would just talk smack back. But I realize that's not everyone. JCotchrocket's probably right. Revis approaches this like it's his job, not a game, and he takes his job seriously.
I think this may be just another case of the media spinning something out of nothing, just like what they did with Sherry Rhodes and his "Chad is afraid of going over the middle" comment.
I love Revis as a player as much as the next guy. But, I think he's starting to believe his own hype. He's had a certain aire of "snobbyness" to him lately. Maybe I'm just seeing it now because he's been in the headlines so much lately. The last thing I want Revis to be is Deon Sanders '09. Just like Jeter, awesome player, but comes off stuck up. With that said, Revis is an amazing athlete.
I don't think that's true at all. I think Revis doesn't want the hype because all this attention he's getting may be fine and dandy but it also pushes his expectations so much further. From what I've heard out of other Jets players about Christ and just from judging his demeanor, he's a really quiet guy who lets his play do the talking. Shit, I just glanced at his twitter and he has stuff up there like: 'just got rid of the christmas tree, anyone else throw out their christmas tree' or 'heading to the mall'. I think he's just shy but knows hes good and wants to go about his business without people making a soap opera out of it
Revis is like Jeter? Revis has a white mom? Hey I am cool with Revis having 5 rings and a laundry list of hot ass broads storing his seed in a jar. Make it happen.
