Chad Ochocinco: PETA Ad Latest Sign He's More Celeb Than NFL Star Now?

Chad Ochocinco is back in the public eye once again, but this time it's for a good cause. 

The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver posed nude for PETA's "Ink, Not Mink" campaign, which protests the use of animal fur in clothing.

Ochocinco joins several other athletes who have posed for the campaign, including Gilbert Arenas, Amar'e Stoudemire and Dennis Rodman. 

Though Ochocinco will be now be viewed a bit more favorably by animals rights activists, there are plenty of people who think this is just his latest public relations ploy.

So what's the deal?

Is Ochocinco simply trying to contribute to a worthwhile cause, or is this just the latest sign that Ochocinco is more of a celebrity than he is a football player?

It's time to debate, y'all.

5. No: He Still Puts Up Decent Numbers

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CINCINNATI - NOVEMBER 08: Chad Ochocinco #85 and Terrell Owens #81 of the Cincinnati Bengals is celebrate Owens touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium on November 8, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Imag

Chad Ochochinco is getting outperformed by his reality TV buddy and teammate Terrell Owens this season, but it's not like he's doing nothing on the football field.

Ochocinco is still on pace for 80 catches, he has more than 600 receiving yards and he's gotten into the end zone four times this season.

He's not going to the Pro Bowl, and he damn sure isn't going to the Super Bowl.

But he's still a high-quality NFL receiver.

5. Yes: Twitter

I follow Chad Ochocinco on Twitter, and the guy lives for that social networking site.

Every time I check my Twitter, I get bombarded with a bunch of ridiculous tweets from Ochocinco. 

He's either challenging someone to play him in Call of Duty or shilling his Ochocinco News Network, dubbed OCNN.

I personally find it hilarious, but I could see how people might think his No.1 priority in life is to tweet at least 20 times a day.

After all, what the hell is Ochocinco doing up at four o'clock in the morning?

I guess it's all that Red Bull he drinks.

4. No: He's Just Nearing the End of His Career

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INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 02: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals watches from the sidelines during the NFL preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Ge

Chad Ochocinco is getting up there in age, by NFL standards at least.

Player production for non-quarterbacks and non-kickers generally tends to tail off at around 30 years of age.

Well, Ochocinco turns 33 in January. He's just "old" now. 

As the PG version of the saying goes, stuff happens.

So don't blame him. Blame Simba and the circle of life.

4. Yes: The PETA Ad Gets His Face Out There Once Again

Chad Ochocinco seems to be everywhere.

I turn on VH1, and he's there. I turn on ESPN, and he's there. I go buy some Reebok ZigTechs, and he's there.

I go eat a nutritional breakfast, and—oh yeah—he's there.

Seriously, Chad, I only like my cereal if this guy graces the box.

So if I want to buy my mom a fur coat for Christmas, don't show up there too.

I don't need you to try to make me feel bad.

3. No: He's Being Overshadowed

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 14: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals reaches for a pass during the Bengals 23-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 14, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/

People who don't consider Chad Ochocinco a star do so because he doesn't go for 100 yards and a touchdown every week.

It's easy to forget about a wide receiver like him when you have guys like Roddy White, Brandon Lloyd and Dwayne Bowe going buck wild on the football field every week.

Ochocinco isn't turning in monster performances like he used to or like those players currently are, but who are we kidding?

Neither is Randy Moss, Steve Smith or Larry Fitzgerald.

I think we can all agree that they're still considered stars in the NFL.

3. Yes: His Engagement to Evelyn Lozada

You truly know you're at least kind of, sort of a celebrity when you get involved with another kind of, sort of celebrity.

That's what Chad Ochocinco did when he recently got engaged to Evelyn Lozada.

Lozada is the ex-girlfriend of former NBA star Antoine Walker and currently stars on the VH1 reality series Basketball Wives.

I find it odd that someone who's never officially been married to a basketball player is on that show, but I digress.

The point is that Ochocinco is already on his way to being the next Spencer Pratt.

Okay, not really.

But if you have to date someone who's somewhat of a celebrity, it's because you're a celebrity as well.

That's pretty much what I was trying to get across.

2. No: Carson Palmer Stinks

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass against the New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium on November 25, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

If it feels like you haven't seen much production out of Chad Ochocinco this season, maybe you should take a look at the guy who's supposed to throw him the football.

The guy who has more three-interception games (two) than three-touchdown games (one) this season.

The guy who's thrown seven interceptions in his last two games.

The guy who's supposed to be a franchise quarterback.

The guy who singlehandedly makes Bengals fans want to start drinking.

Oh, I'm talking about Carson Palmer by the way.

2. Yes: The T.Ocho Show

I'd rather watch the grass grow than any type of talk show, especially if it's The View and features Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

So I haven't gotten around to watching Versus' The T.Ocho Show, which I thought was a joke but apparently is an actual TV show.

Since I'm pretty unfamiliar with what exactly it entails, I decided to check out the show's website.

The first thing I noticed was a poll which asked, "Should T.O. hire Chad to be his matchmaker?"

Come on, that can't be a serious question, can it?

I immediately made the decision to never watch that show even though I'm a fan of both guys.

1. No: He'll Always Be an NFL Star First

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

People move on to different things—that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Simon Cowell transitioned from American Idol to whatever the hell he's doing these days.

And Mario Lopez made the switch from Saved by the Bell to hosting MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.

But you're kidding yourself if you think that anyone remembers Lopez as anything other than "A.C. Slater."

The same goes with Chad Ochocinco.

Even if he moves from playing in prime time to starring in another crappy reality show, he'll always be known as "Chad Ochocinco, former NFL player" first and foremost.

1. Yes: The Ultimate Catch

I doubt anyone reading this watched Chad Ochocinco's VH1 reality show The Ultimate Catch.

But it was about what you would expect from a reality dating show in 2010: fake breasts, fake hair and fake personalities, with women looking to capitalize on their 15 minutes of fame.

Ochocinco started with 85 women—cute, huh?—who had to "try out" to make it to the final 16.

As you might expect, his selections included a big-boobed blonde, a woman who didn't know who he was and some chick named Ruby who was trying to get her singing career going.

So what exactly did this have to do with football?

The Verdict: Is He More of a Celeb or an NFL Star?

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 26: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Chad Ochocinco's production has slipped in recent years, and plenty of people like to blame that on his ventures outside of football.

But there's a bit of a double standard going on here.

You don't see people calling out Peyton Manning, who's hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in a gazillion commercials.

Or Drew Brees, who's been all over the place since the Saints won the Super Bowl.

I think Ochocinco's happy-go-lucky personality is often confused for a larger-than-life attitude.

But he's proven to be a caring guy who does stuff like this.

The bottom line is that Ochocinco's as harmless as they come. The guy just wants to have fun.

The Verdict: He's confused for a celebrity, but he's an NFL star through and through.