Why Antonio Brown Deserves Our Sympathy

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown had a very public meltdown during Week 17’s game against the New York Jets. During the third quarter, after a spat with coach Bruce Arians, Brown ripped his jersey and gear off and ran off the field. 

“He’s no longer a Buc.”

Arians suggested in the post-game press conference that Brown was now off the team. 

“That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys that went out there and won the game.” 

As of today, Antonio Brown is still a member of the Buccaneers. 

What Happened?

Last week, Brown returned after a three-game suspension by the NFL for submitting a fake vaccination card. A player known for acting out in recent years, Brown was already on thin ice as far as Arians was concerned. 

When asked to go into the game during the third quarter, Brown reportedly refused, citing an ankle injury. There was a disagreement. Brown removed his jersey, his pads, and his undershirt, and stormed off the field. 

The moment went viral as another “Antonio Brown makes trouble” story. But people quickly pointed out that there may be much more going on underneath the surface. 

You can hear a sympathetic tone in Tom Brady’s comments post-incident.

Why Would He Deserve Our Sympathy?

During the AFC Wild Card Bengals vs. Steelers Game in 2016, Brown was brutally hit by Vontaze Burfict. 

Burfict was fined $50K for the hit. He has a reputation for being a dirty player. 

That hit is what many are saying changed Brown’s behavior for the worse. Brown has denied that the hit may have caused significant injury in an interview with reporter Josin Anderson. 

Anderson: Some people speculate that Vontaze Burfict’s hit has adversely impacted your behavior after that. Is that true?

Brown: Nah, he didn’t hit me that hard. You know, I got up and walked off the field. We won the game, right? I was alright.

Anderson: So some people when they talk about you, they say Antonio Brown needs mental help. Or he shows signs of needing mental help. Do you need mental help?

Brown: We all need mental help. I’m like an animal in a cage. Like, everyone just talks about me. I can’t go out of my house. … Everything I do is in the face of people – facing someone talking –  someone making an assumption about me.

Anderson: So you don’t feel like you have CTE? You’re not concerned about it?

Brown: No, If I had CTE, I wouldn’t be able to have this beautiful gym. I wouldn’t be able to be creative. I wouldn’t be able to …

Anderson: You might have the early stages, AB, just to be clear.

Brown: I don’t know. Aaron Hernandez? No, I’m perfectly fine.

Aaron Hernandez certainly comes to mind when reading about Brown’s trouble. 

Football Is Dangerous … And Fun … But Dangerous

Washington Post writer Sally Jenkins had a great take on Sunday’s incident. 

“It’s easy to be sympathetic to Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka or Michael Phelps for their mental health issues. Their struggles were largely invisible, their confessions soft-spoken.

“Not so much with Brown.

“In his case, he lives his crazy and his pain right out loud, in front of the cameras and social media, and it’s unnerving, unlikeable and in some instances perhaps inexcusable, from alleged sexual misconduct to refusing to pay debtors to faking a vaccine card.

“But the remarks of his teammates make it clear that they have deep affection for his best side and view much of his behavior as stemming from emotional unwellness.”

Football is a very dangerous game. But it’s also an incredibly exciting, very complicated game that is endlessly fun to get into. It’s a bonding experience for families, it’s a brutal expression of sport, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to play. 

People like recently deceased John Madden celebrated the violence of the game. Many still do. But as we learn more and more about the dangers that football injuries create, we have to wonder if the fun is worth the harm.