Ochocinco-Boehner: Twitter pals

CINCINNATI (AP) - By DAN SEWELL, Associated Press

Chad Ochocinco, meet the speaker of the U.S. House. On Twitter, of course.

The New England Patriots wide receiver known for prolific social media interactions tuned in to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night, and he soon was wondering about the unsmiling man sitting behind the Democratic president. Informed by a friend it was Republican Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, the former Cincinnati Bengal decided to reach out to him on Twitter, asking Tuesday night if he was "OK."

Apparently still concerned Wednesday, Ochocinco asked Boehner in another message if he was in better spirits, and told him: "If all else seems bad in life, just remember I love you kind sir."

Boehner thanked Ochocinco in a tweet and wished him good luck in the Super Bowl. The Patriots play the New York Giants for the National Football League championship on Feb. 5.

"We'll see you in the playoffs next year," Boehner added, using "Bengals" and their fans' cheer "WhoDey" to tag his response on Twitter.

Boehner's Twitter feed later included a photo of him at his desk with a Bengals helmet in the foreground.