Ochocinco fined $20,000 for $1 'bribe'

CINCINNATI, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was fined $20,000 by the NFL for an attempted "bribe" of a game official last week.

Ochocinco held a $1 bill near an official during a replay review at the Bengals' game Sunday against Baltimore. It wasn't clear the official even saw the bill and Ochocinco quickly handed it to someone on the Cincinnati sideline.

"I was just being me," Ochocinco told the NFL Network after the game, which Cincinnati won 17-7. "I wasn't going to do it for real."

The fine by NFL officials, made public Friday, is related to league policies against players using props during games and use of "threatening or insulted gestures toward officials." That Ochocinco used the word "bribe" in post-game comments didn't help.

Ochocinco was hardly contrite, filing a Twitter Friday that claimed: "Child wait till you see what I do in Pittsburgh. Remember I set aside (a) fine fund before the season started, I'm just starting!"

Cincinnati plays Sunday at Pittsburgh.