Chad Ochocinco Takes 200 Strangers Out to Dinner

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 18: Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco #85 of the New England Patriots looks on at play against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 18, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The New England Patriots won, 41-23. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Photo: Patrick Smith/2011 Getty Images

New England Patriot Chad Ochocinco has asked many questions.”How did [Obama] manage to memorize so much material?” he wondered during his live-tweet of the State of the Union in January. “Is it possible to find Neapolitan Mastiffs this big,” he pondered, linking to a picture of an enormous dog, “and if so do you think they’re bred in the states.”

At 4:13 p.m. this afternoon, the ever-eccentric wide receiver issued a statement, not a question, to his 3,297,121 Twitter followers: “Dinner in NY tonight 1st 200 people at Sylvia’s Restaurant by 7 pm in Harlem. Leave ya money/credit cards at home.”

The line at Sylvia’s, the famous soul food restaurant in Harlem, was around the block within twenty minutes, according to Trenness Woods-Black, granddaughter of Sylvia “Queen of Soulfood” Woods herself, who also handles the restaurant’s communications. She told us this evening that Ochocinco gave Sylvia’s a call to let them know he was coming to New York — “he loves us and we love him too” — and wanted to know how many people he could host for dinner. Woods-Black told him 200 was fine, and the line started snaking around the block minutes after Ochocinco’s tweet. 

Ochocinco’s guests ate well. “We served our most popular items,” Woods-Black said, “barbeque ribs, fried chicken, mac and cheese, corn bread, iced tea, cocktails…” Cake Man Raven brought 200 red-velvet cupcakes for dessert. Ochocinco seemed pleased with the evening and gave out his phone number to all 200 guests. “Now I have 200 new friends…” he tweeted, “now that shit is #Epic or #Crazy.” We’ll have what he’s having.

Chad Ochocinco Takes 200 Strangers Out to Dinner