Wide receiver Antonio Brown gets ready for a play as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown signed with the New England Patriots on Sept. 7 after an offseason filled with drama with the Oakland Raiders (courtesy of creative commons).
Throughout the history of the National Football League, there have been certain players who would always find themselves making headlines because of their behavior. Quarterbacks can be temperamental and cripple their team, running backs do much of the same and even defensive players occasionally cause a fuss.
Wide receivers, however, seem to stir up more drama than any other position group in the 100 years of the NFL. So much drama, in fact, that the term “diva” is often applied to them to describe their selfish tendencies.
Recently, star wide receiver Antonio Brown has been the focus of football fans and media outlets across the world for a multitude of reasons.
Brown has had a rollercoaster of a football career, going from a 195th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft to a seven-time pro bowler who is arguably the best player at his position. The plays he made as a member of the Steelers for his first nine years in the league awed viewers and put his team in positions to make deep post-season runs.
He was and still is one of the most sensational players to watch but, as of the past six months, Brown’s football journey has taken quite the turn; a turn some would describe as tragic and unnecessary.
He was traded to the Oakland Raiders on March 9 in a move that was closely covered minute by minute by sports media. At first it seemed that he had been traded to the Buffalo Bills, but that deal fell through at the last second. At his introductory press conference, Brown seemed ready to be a team player for the Raiders and propel them to the post-season.
“I'm here to elevate everything around me. I'm here to just be a surge of energy, of positivity and good force,” Brown said. “[I’m here to be] a great teammate and to bring out the best of everyone around me [because] we all know it's not just about me.”
It was made very clear that this was not sincere in any capacity. Brown’s antics began on Aug. 3, when he posted pictures of his severely blistered feet on his social media account. His feet had been damaged after he didn’t wear the proper footwear during cryotherapy treatment, a foolish lack of awareness on Brown’s part that caused him to miss all but one training camp practice.
To many, it seemed as though he was prolonging his absence from the Raiders’ practice schedule, something that no player should want to do.
NFL players should be some of the most committed employees in the country, always showing up to work no matter how mundane the task because of their sheer competitiveness. Training camp practices are just as important as primetime mid-season games and could be more important considering that it’s when teams build chemistry together.
Six days after posting pictures of his feet online, Brown made a mountain out of a molehill when he filed a grievance with the NFL because he couldn’t wear the helmet he had worn for the previous nine years due to safety reasons. He threatened to never play football for the Raiders if he wasn’t allowed to wear his old helmet.
Things took a turn for the worst when Brown confronted Raiders’ general manager Mike Mayock in an explosive scene on Sept. 5. It involved yelling and cursing in front of many other team members and Brown had to be physically restrained by a teammate from hitting Mayock. Brown issued an “emotional apology” the next day and escaped suspension by Oakland’s front office.
Unsurprisingly, the Raiders were fed up with the diva wide receiver and his endless mood swings, ranging from being a team player to threatening the general manager of the entire team. On Sept. 7, the team fined Brown more than $200,000 and voided almost $30 million of his contract, prompting Brown to demand his release from the team that same morning. They rightfully obliged his request later in the day.
Mere hours later, Brown posted on his Instagram that he was signing a one-year deal with an already stacked New England Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions.
The Patriots soon realized they inherited a headache due to sexual assault allegations against Brown by his former trainer Britney Taylor. Investigations by police and the NFL have already begun as a slew of fresh evidence emerges daily, making things look bleak for the 2018 receiving touchdowns leader.
Brown practiced with the Patriots amid the early stages of the investigations, and saw action on Sunday Sept. 15 for them, after the tumultuous summer he had with the Raiders. He had four receptions for 56 yards, including a touchdown in the team’s 43-0 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Fans can only speculate and wait to see what Brown’s fate will be in the NFL in 2019. With allegations as serious as these and past misconduct history, Brown may find himself inside a prison cell on Sundays instead of in an opponent’s end zone.