ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posted video and a write up of Antonio Brown’s latest Facebook Live video in which the Steelers wide receiver addresses the “controversy” that has surrounded him the last week. At last check the 14 minute video has over 176,000 views. In the video Brown says:
There’s been a lot of reports, a lot of different people saying a lot of different things. You guys know the truth.
As you know Brown was disciplined by the Steelers for capturing video of the team’s postgame locker room after the divisional round win over the Chiefs. The NFL locker room is sacred and when it is closed from media what goes on inside is not for public consumption. Brown was wrong for recording it and sharing it publicly. He has apologized for that and did so again in his latest video.
The Steelers lost to the Patriots last Sunday in the AFC Championship. Brown was neutralized by the Pats defense, and was seen upset and “moody” during various points of the game. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have stated how valuable and important Brown is to the organization, but also intimated that his actions distract from the team.
The NFL, and in particular the Steelers are very conservative. It is true, actions by Brown that take the attention from football are tiresome and problematic for his teammates and organization. However, Facebook Live videos and being upset on the sidelines are not the reasons the Steelers lost the game. Too often mainstream media uses this as the easy narrative. Do the optics look good? No. Did the video motivate the Pats to play harder? No.
What we are witnessing is what we have always seen in sports. A truly talented and exceptional individual is showing out. Unfortunately that rubs a lot of people, including the league and his employer, the wrong way.
Flip the page to view Brown’s post season Facebook Live video where he has a new motto for his haters.