Ochocinco's sombrero stunt draws $30,000 fine

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco has been fined $30,000 for donning a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown, an NFL source told The Associated Press.

The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the league has not made any announcement about the fine.

The punishment was first reported by ESPN.com.

Ochocinco wore a gray poncho and black sombrero after catching a TD pass in Cincinnati's 23-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. NFL rules prohibit players from bringing any extraneous object onto the field.

On his Twitter account, Ochocinco posted Tuesday: "Dear NFL League Office ... being great means having fun n celebrating. I've written a letter of apology to yall."

The receiver legally changed his name last year from Chad Johnson to a loose translation in Spanish of his uniform number, 85. "Ochocinco" literally means "eight five."

This punishment comes about a month after Ochocinco was fined $20,000 and reprimanded by the NFL for pretending to bribe an official by waving a $1 bill.

Notes

• Pittsburgh Steelers S Troy Polamalu (knee) is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game Thursday against Cleveland and there is no definitive date for his return.

• The Washington Redskins cut K Shaun Suisham, the most accurate kicker in franchise history who missed a chip-shot field goal against New Orleans on Sunday, and replaced him with Graham Gano from the United Football League. The Redskins also placed RB Clinton Portis (concussion) on the injured-reserve list, ending his season. Said Portis, 28, in an ESPN radio interview, "If it's my time, I think I had a great career."

• Tampa Bay KR Clifton Smith will miss the rest of the season after his second concussion in less than two months.

• The Chicago Bears, lean at linebacker after losing Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa to season-ending injuries, got some good news: Lance Briggs is scheduled to practice today after missing a game with knee and hip injuries.

• The New York Giants have signed DB London Fryar, the son of former NFL standout Irving Fryar, to their practice squad.

• Former New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress, two months into his two-year sentence for carrying an unlicensed gun that went off and wounded him in a New York nightclub, wants to get a break from prison, but prosecutors said they will likely try to block his bid for work release because he hasn't served enough time.

• The Kansas City Chiefs must sell 3,500 tickets for Sunday's game against Buffalo by noon Thursday or face the first televised blackout of a home game in nearly 20 years.

• The NFL's charitable foundation is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 11 organizations to support medical research on subjects such as artery blockage in retired players, stem cell usage for tendon repair and heat stress risks.

• The Minnesota-Carolina matchup Dec. 20 will remain the NFL's Sunday night game even though NBC had the option to choose another one. But the Green Bay-Pittsburgh game that day will start at 1:15 p.m. PST instead of 10 a.m.