Open Court: What’s in a name?

We obviously didn’t know it at the time, but obscure tailback Rod Smart might have been a marketing visionary.

A former standout at Western Kentucky, Smart bounced around NFL practice rosters and the CFL before making a name for himself (so to speak) in the short-lived XFL.

League commissioner and WWE figurehead Vince McMahon imagined a no-holds-barred football league where his players had the freedom to express themselves.

Smart elected to refer to himself as “He Hate Me,” sporting that inexplicable slogan on the back of his jersey. The phrase made him a celebrity along the lines of the Taco Bell chihuahua or the “Where’s the beef?” lady.

While Smart’s star quickly faded when the XFL disbanded after one season, the spirit of “He Hate Me” lives on with Chad Javon Ocho Cinco.

Perhaps a little back-story is necessary.

On Oct. 29, 2006, the former Chad Johnson added an “Ocho Cinco” patch to his his typical “C. Johnson” Bengals jersey — just another one of Johnson’s loony “hey everyone, look at me!” celebrations that have made him a fixture on SportsCenter, even as T.J. Houshmandzadeh continued to out-perform him on the field.

The NFL — always a stickler with the uniform — fined Johnson $5,000 for the stunt.

Never the type to back down from the NFL’s rules committee, Johnson fought back with the most logical course of action he could think of. He legally changed his name. Of course he did.

As of Friday afternoon, Chad Johnson is now Chad Javon Ocho Cinco. Yes, that’s his real name now.

Wikipedia has been forced to follow suit, referring to him as “Ocho Cinco” throughout his biography.

Sporting goods stores will have to replace their Johnson jerseys with “Ocho Cinco” resting above the No. 85.

Obviously, the NFL has no idea how to respond to this. They can’t fine Ocho Cinco for changing his name. It’s so bizarre that no rational organization can possibly have any by-laws restricting such a practice.

All this does is force Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis to renew his migraine headache prescription. Lewis, a longtime hater of Ocho Cinco’s stunts, has called him “Ocho Psycho” on more than one occasion.

Johnson’s trip to the Broward County, Fla. courthouse might send shock waves through the sports world. We’re inching closer and closer to the days when athletes legally change their names for endorsement/sponsorship opportunities — Nike Woods, Peyton Gatorade, LeBron Roc-A-Fella Records.

In this brave new world, we have only He Hate Me to thank.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747