The drama with Antonio Brown continues. First, he threatened to retire if he couldn’t wear a helmet he had worn for his first nine seasons. Then, he missed the Oakland Raiders training camp with frostbite on his feet and apparently, it’s not just his feet that is the problem. He even had an altercation at practice with Raiders general manager, Mike Mayock. This was the dumbest thing I have heard from an NFL player, and here are my thoughts on what Brown has done the past few months.
Antonio Brown: The Drama Continues
It’s Just A Helmet
With the concern of CTE and concussions, having the best possible helmet seems like common sense. The helmet Brown wore is now prohibited by the league. This makes it even more dangerous to use it since it can’t protect as well as other helmets available. Since the helmet has been prohibited to use it should instantly be concerning if someone continues to use it.
The National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) inspects and certifies helmets for how well they can take impact while protecting the head. The NFL requires all helmets to be NOCSAE certified which Brown’s old helmet is not. The league mandates helmets older than ten years old can’t be used, which makes sense since technology has changed so much in the past decade. If a modern helmet uses better technology and will protect him better, it only makes sense to use as new of a helmet as possible.
Brown threatened to retire over a helmet, going as far as speaking with an independent arbitrator to plead his case. He claimed that other helmets affect his vision, yet no other players have complained about losing visibility. It could be that he isn’t used to other helmets, but this is another example of his character. Brown has created this image of being self-centered, and this adds to the idea of who he really is.
It can’t be that difficult to adjust to a new helmet with so many options similar to his. Also, there are thousands of facemask options, so if vision is the issue then Brown should consider a new facemask. If he cares enough about his body, he should be willing to try anything that could better protect it.
Cry Like A Baby
Brown recently signed with Xenith to wear one of their helmets, which should have ended the drama. Brown posted a letter from Raiders general manager Mike Mayock notifying him of fines for missing mandatory events. Reports say that Brown got into a heated argument with Mayock in practice, and could face a suspension by Oakland. Friday morning, new reports indicated Brown would not be punished and would play in their week one match-up against the Denver Broncos.
He’s 31-years-old but acts more like he’s three-years-old. Terrell Owens was considered a diva despite his success, and Brown is beginning to look like this era’s version. He’s been called a great teammate, yet time after time does selfish acts that take away from the team. At some point, this has to stop.
Temper Tantrum
It goes back to OTAs and it doesn’t surprise based on what he’s done. When he was first told he couldn’t wear it, he tried to spray paint his helmet silver and was caught. I doubt he did a good job of painting the helmet. The Raiders helmets are painted by the manufacturer of the helmet so the color was likely off.
It doesn’t look good that despite his absence from training camp he remains a distraction for the team. He is one of the best on the field, but he makes it hard to respect him as a person. The fact that Brown is the one doing this doesn’t surprise, but the extent he’s going is certainly surprising.
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