Antonio Brown just melted down

[mcmillenandwife]

Antonio Brown just melted down. Took off his jersey, took off his pads, took off his undershirt and threw it into the crowd then danced around in the end zone for a minute before waving and running into the locker room. 



Psycho. 

My guess is, he's throwing a tantrum because he's likely to miss bonus incentives if he doesn't get the ball.

[RaynorShyne]

Assclown. It's been three full seasons since he's been with us - and I STILL was to disassociate myself with his name more and more.

[dbsfgyd1]

We all knew it was a matter of time…. Well, he got his wish, to play with Brady. Unfortunately for AB, Brady is a stickler for details and not about to risk his butt for some prima donna going off script like Big Ben was.

[sandfan]

Hard to believe, after this recent episode, that anyone can still try to blame Ben for AB's departure. He flushed a lot of cash today, assuming he's suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs. Maybe he's rich enough it matters not but I'm not sure the boy won't be broke or dead in 10 years.

[mcmillenandwife]

Hard to believe, after this recent episode, that anyone can still try to blame Ben for AB's departure.  He flushed a lot of cash today, assuming he's suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs.  Maybe he's rich enough it matters not but I'm not sure the boy won't be broke or dead in 10 years.

Wait, are there still people out there who blame Ben for his departure? 

I know there were race-baiters in the media who predictably made that claim when it first happened. But since then, I would think that myth has been dispelled?

[sandfan]

The Bucs will earn a playoff spot and that puts extra cash in the pockets of every player. Looks like he flushed at least another million $, assuming he did not suffer a permanent injury, with his antics.

I believe there are still media types and racists who continue to blame Ben for Brown. I might be wrong but the hatred for Ben, as idiotic as it is, runs deep.

Brown has 42 catches for 545 yards and four touchdowns this season. He can earn up to $1 million in contract incentives over the final two games of the year if he reached the following criteria (per Spotrac).

8 receptions
55 yards
1 TD

[dbsfgyd1]

Hard to believe, after this recent episode, that anyone can still try to blame Ben for AB's departure.  He flushed a lot of cash today, assuming he's suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs.  Maybe he's rich enough it matters not but I'm not sure the boy won't be broke or dead in 10 years.

In some circles this is considered appropriate behavior, in others he’s “just expressing his emotions”. Perfectly acceptable.  Like when a linebacker makes a tackle 10 yards down field jumps up pounding his chest acting like he just hit the Lotto. Don’t ya know this is why people watch the NFL. 

Todays fans will not watch if there isn’t a lot of scoring, chest thumping, somebody get disrespected, or is playing with a chip on their shoulder. Further, it seems like fans are more concerned about how well the the game is officiated than the game itself. 

As for AB, well, we all get to make decisions in life and we all got to deal with the consequences of the. So far his NFL career has shielded him from a few of his. Away of his NFL player’s salary, the consequences of these sort of  indiscretions may become more and more devastating. 

The dude needs some help or he could very easily  become one of those cautionary tales you read about of how life can turn south in a hurry.

[bksteeler]

According to Arians, he is now gone... permanently.

[bbbooger]

According to Arians, he is now gone... permanently.

Yeah… waiting for the GM (Brady…) to confirm…

[dbsfgyd1]

According to Arians, he is now gone... permanently.

Yeah… waiting for the GM (Brady…) to confirm…

GM Brady more than likely told BA, “this guy has to go, and tell him and the media, leave my name out of this. Ya know I have this squeaky clean reputation I’m trying to maintain. The optics of me having anything to do with this tawdry affair just will not do.”

[Cali-Steeler]

This was way overdue. We all knew it was coming in some form or another? How many Teams had to find out the hard way. Lucky for them, he wasn't a key player and deep into the playoffs.

   According to Ariens,  >  He asked AB to go into the game. And he flat out said "No"  
   AB Already had 3 catches for 26 yards in the game...

    Ariens asked him a second time later to go into the Game. He flat out refused. He then told told AB to leave the field.  Ariens said its the weirdest thing he's seen.  

   I think AB had his mind set up to do this before the game? Or was pissed because they weren't using him enough? Either way I don't think he will play another down in the NFL.

           

[sandfan]

He may be nuts but he's very talented. Brady is maybe great enough to overcome his desertion but, if the injury bug hits the WR corps, he will be missed. Brady lives for Lombardis. A great attitude that more Steeler players should adopt.

The Buc offense, minus AB, is not as threatening. That might matter a great deal during the playoffs.

[Rollers]

Brady has been his biggest supporter. He asked that people have compassion and understanding for the guy after this latest meltdown. He used the word love to express his feelings for AB.. I don't believe Brady had anything to do with him not being on the ream any longer

[mcmillenandwife]

Brady has been his biggest supporter.  He asked that people have compassion and understanding for the guy after this latest meltdown.  He used the word love to express his feelings for AB..  I don't believe Brady had anything to do with him not being on the ream any longer

Agreed. Just like Ben didn't have anything to do with it. 

AB is just a crazy, egocentric dude. He's unstable AF, and he's rich enough to feed that instability. I don't think it's really anybody's fault but his own.

I'm a little tired of the concern and compassion angle, frankly. The guy has hurt a lot of people, failed his teammates, supposedly had some violent off-the-field legal issues (not sure of the veracity or outcome, so I won't repeat them), but he doesn't deserve compassion for being a loose canon who hurts those around him. 

I know plenty of people who grew up in circumstances as hard or harder than AB's who don't treat other people like shit. I say, stop coddling the dude and giving him a free pass on shitty behavior. That nonsense is a media-driven thing IMO. People feel like they have to say it or the media will come after them for racism or some other such nonsense. 

I'm over it. F--- him, he's proven himself to be a shitty person again and again.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Before all is said and done Bruce Arians will be branded a racist.

[mcmillenandwife]

Before all is said and done Bruce Arians will be branded a racist.

Yep. That's exactly where this is going.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers release Antonio Brown

Four days after wide receiver Antonio Brown threw off his helmet and dashed off the field in the middle of a game against the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have terminated his contract, effective immediately, the team announced Thursday.

"While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday's game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game and at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play.

"We have attempted, multiple times throughout this week, to schedule an evaluation by an outside orthopedic specialist, yet Antonio has not complied. Maintaining the health and wellness of our players is of the utmost importance to our organization."

Brown and attorney Sean Burstyn said Wednesday that the wide receiver told the Buccaneers he was too hurt to continue playing on an injured ankle, but coach Bruce Arians rebutted having any knowledge of the nature of his outburst, nor did he say Brown communicated to him or to the training staff that his ankle was bothering him.

A Bucs team official, however, told ESPN that Brown was agitated at halftime of Sunday's game against the Jets about not getting the targets he was expecting and that he had to be calmed down.

Brown's attorney said the receiver's ankle injury, and not targets, was the source of Brown's frustration.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht told ESPN on Thursday that Brown and his agent requested last week that the remaining $2 million in contract incentives for this season be guaranteed. The team declined that request.

In Wednesday's statement, Brown said he was forced to play on an injured ankle that will require surgery, which is why he exited Sunday's game so abruptly in the third quarter.

An NFL spokesperson told ESPN on Thursday that Brown would not be subject to league discipline for his actions during Sunday's game.

Upset on the sideline, Brown, who had been on the field for 26 plays, took off his jersey, pads and undershirt, and he threw his shirt and gloves into the stands. He then dashed across the end zone while both teams were on the field and waved to fans as he went to the locker room.

He accused the Buccaneers of mischaracterizing his outburst on the field as a "mental health issue" rather than as a refusal to play due to pain.

Licht said Brown did not tell anyone on the Bucs medical staff on Sunday about his ankle bothering him before or during the game.

Licht said the Buccaneers made "reasonable accommodations" to bring this matter to a close early this week, if in fact Brown had an injury from the game, and that the wide receiver declined to cooperate.

Brown on Wednesday said that he underwent an MRI Monday, revealing broken bone fragments, a ligament torn from the bone and cartilage loss. He also said the Bucs tried to send him to a "junior doctor," versus the two he sought in New York City, including Dr. Martin O'Malley at Hospital for Special Surgery, where he had scheduled surgery. He claims the Bucs gave him a "few hours' notice to show up "and "ordered him under penalty of discipline."

Licht told ESPN that the Bucs made two doctors' appointments in New York for Brown so they could place him on injured reserve and pay him for the remainder of the year, and he missed both appointments. The team still could have put him on injured reserve if Brown sent over his medical records, but he did not return their texts and calls, Licht said.

Licht said the Bucs also could have set up those appointments in Tampa but said that they knew Brown was in New York and that they believed they were trying to oblige him. Brown and his agent declined to send the Bucs his medical information from their doctor visit this week, Licht said, and he still has not returned the team's calls.

On Thursday morning, Brown posted screenshots to social media of alleged text exchanges with Arians from Thursday, Dec. 30, and Friday about the status of his ankle, captioned on Instagram with, "Coach said we never talked."

In another post, Brown said none of his teammates knew about the alleged discussion with Arians.

"Don't get it twisted. My brothers have been good to me. From Tom [Brady] to practice squad, we were a top-level unit," Brown posted to Twitter. "They have been good to me and knew nothing about my talks with coach last week. The team mishandled this situation. They let me down and, more importantly, my teammates."

He also posted a grievance Thursday about a deal with Brady's trainer Alex Guerrero and tagged Brady in the posts, saying, "@TomBrady guy @ag_TB12 charging $100K never doing the work on me! how u even work wit people like this! This is what I was dealing wit." He posted something similar on Twitter, which he later took down, with, "... must be was apart of these guys plans all Along."

Brown suffered the ankle injury in Week 6 and missed five games. He then was suspended for three games after an NFL investigation found that he had produced a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

He returned in Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, catching 10 passes for 101 receiving yards. But he also aggravated the injury and, as a result, was a nonparticipant in Thursday and Friday practices last week and was officially questionable leading into the Jets game.

Arians was not at those practices because he was quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19, but he was kept abreast of all practices and player status updates.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-antonio-brown

[mcmillenandwife]

The Buccaneers said today:

A Bucs team official, however, told ESPN that Brown was agitated at halftime of Sunday's game against the Jets about not getting the targets he was expecting and that he had to be calmed down.

I accurately predicted in real time as it happened Sunday:

My guess is, he's throwing a tantrum because he's likely to miss bonus incentives if he doesn't get the ball.

Not that it was a difficult prediction, but... I called it!  (smug smile)

[Rollers]

I wonder if he's suffering from CTE? Just a thought

[mcmillenandwife]

I wonder if he's suffering from CTE?  Just a thought

I don't buy that argument at all. By numerous accounts, he was off the rails well before the Burfect hit. 

I think he's just a tremendous @$$hole.

[RaynorShyne]

I think he's just a tremendous @$$hole.

[Chucktownsteeler]

I guess Brown is rapping now at a local gentlermen's club. Maybe Robert Kraft stops by and offers him a spot on the Pats?

[Krunch]

[Chucktownsteeler]

I'm not sure who would want him. He quit on the Steelers and Bucs, and was cut from the Raiders and Pats. When he quit on the Steelers and Bucs both where chasing a playoff spot. There are a ton of quality FA and draft elligible WRs this year. I won't touch Brown with a ten-foot pole.