Antonio Brown

Fixit said:

Not you, personally, but so far I've seen predictions of 12-4, 11-5, and a bunch of pearl clutching.

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What an amazing life we fans live that a prediction of 12-4 is considered a negative take.

PP2 said:

Is one strike and you're out, a fair policy?

Keep in mind AB's very rough childhood and the way he was raised.

And also keep in mind, the fact that neither Pittsburgh or LA sought to correct his behavior. They were only concerned with on-field results. So in fact, they enabled his behavior.

And finally when he came to an extremely professional, structured team full of role models, he by all appearances and reports, was really working his ass off to assimilate himself into the team culture, in a completely different environment.

You cannot undo 30 years of bad habit in one week.

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I think that is a fair question and to me personally it isn't a fair policy. But then again I am not the owner of a very valuable sports team and have to make decisions based on public perception with respect to sponsors and whatnot.

At the same time -- as I have said before -- AB only to blame himself for the situation. I am sure Rosenhaus made it clear to him that he was on thin ice with the Pats and he couldn't even make it until his first big signing bonus check cleared. He had five million reasons to at least hang low for the first 2-3 weeks and he wasn't able to manage that.

Could Kraft have been more lenient ? Sure. Is it hypocritical of him after the entire hand job fiasco to NOW be concerned about the public image of the team ? You bet.

The one thing that irritates me a bit and I keep reading is "what if the civil suit disappears". But his release has not been about that at all. He was in the cluster**** already BEFORE he signed with the Pats so that didn't affect his clean slate at all. Thus the outcome of the entire fiasco is also completely irrelevant.

This boils down to him sending those completely unnecessary text messages to the other woman when the spotlight was bright on him. I am sure **** like that goes on much more in the league but the other athletes at least seem to be "clever" enough to lay low once their agent tells them and let the lawyers deal with it all.

Sicilian said:

What an amazing life we fans live that a prediction of 12-4 is considered a negative take.

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He went from a 19-0 prediction with AB to a 12-4 without. Pretty sure that's a negative take.

Fixit said:

He went from a 19-0 prediction with AB to a 12-4 without. Pretty sure that's a negative take.

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I think a 19-0 prediction is the problem here, not the 12-4.

Todd Bradley said:

No one ever debated whether or not Kraft was a good owner. We know who he is and what he’s done.

But he did allow Tom Brady, the man who made him a billionaire and delivered all the exponential success he’s had as an owner, to get railroaded by the NFL and Goodell over a fake scandal.

I think any fan of this team can concede that truth.

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uhhhhh......kraft was already a billionaire

There's no denying that AB is/was cray-cray. But BB was willing to deal with some distractions to have him on the team. Kraft was not. That's the bottom line. Kraft went over BB's head and forced AB off the team, got him cut.

UptownPatsFan said:

BB and Brady wanted to keep AB on the team; Kraft didn’t. Pretty simple. It’s obvious. End of story.


Edit: Told ya..

Report: Tom Brady Disagreed with Patriots' Decision to Cut Antonio Brown

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TMZ level gossip

Sicilian said:

What an amazing life we fans live that a prediction of 12-4 is considered a negative take.

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Coming into the season most of us were thinking anywhere from 12-4 to 14-2. I have yet to see anything happen that challenges that preconception in either direction. Unfortunately for some that think this team owes them an undefeated season reality happens at some point or another. Take it easy on them, things are sooo hard for them.

Like the dissension talk last year, there may be some truth on this but all involved parties will move on.

Still a bit disappointed it didn’t work out, like Abdul stated I think 19-0 was much more doable with ab. And having him contribute to ring #7 to take sole possession of the lead would have been the ultimate kick in the junk to Steelers fans. Ah well

Never would have gotten a full season out of Brown. If it wasn’t this, he’d have done something that even BB wouldn’t have accepted before the season was over. Dude has a proven track record of craziness. And don’t forget that in his 11 days with NE he had already made several social media posts that were quickly deleted, so he was clearly having trouble following the rules.

It was just a matter of time and I’d rather have it be now when the team has plenty of time to adjust than later in the season.

KontradictioN said:

Who is saying they’re in trouble? They still have plenty to get back to, and win, the Super Bowl.

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Something smells...fishy here

Sicilian said:

What an amazing life we fans live that a prediction of 12-4 is considered a negative take.

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Yeah, but we don't have Antonio Brown!!!! Where are the pearls???? The pearls??????

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Froob said:

Something smells...fishy here

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Well, yeah the SB IS in Miami this year.

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Look, on the speculation on Brown's mental state and his childhood, I went to elementary school with Antonio Brown in a middle class suburb of Albany. He was a year behind me. His father was the greatest Arena Football player in history, back when the AFL was more than just a tax evasion scheme for Ted Leonsis, and taught and coached football at the high school in the offseason; his dad was still there when I attended that high school amd I interacted with him a handful of times. He had a salary that put their family comfortable in the middle class. This wasn't gangland.

Yeah, his mom left his dad and moved the family to Miami for various sordid reasons, and I'm sure that wasn't easy (especially given the circumstances, which I know second and thirdhand but don't appear to be public so I won't post them because I can't be sure). But the "rough and tumble" childhood stuff seems to me to largely just be PR from the Brown camp. Or, if it's true, then it's because Brown himself (like Aaron Hernandez!) sought out that rough and tumble life himself as he got older. Josh Gordon he ain't. This guy's problems and his demons appear to be almost entirely of his own making, probably with a healthy dose of CTE to help him along.

Th3Birdman said:

MODS: Please do not merge my thread into the ongoing Antonio Brown thread. This is new news, mainly about Tom Brady and his thoughts, and I cannot post in that thread.

Anyway, I'm curious, but are the people that dogpiled me for stating that I was unhappy the team cut Brown now going to condemn Brady?

Tom Brady wanted Antonio Brown to stay and was unhappy when Patriots cut receiver, per report

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If I was Brady I would be upset too. He wasted time working with Brown, investing time and effort, and then he gets released. The Pats knew it was a huge risk and Brady went all in on making it work on the field and then it gets yanked.

It was time that would have been better spent working with the other receivers.

Todd Bradley said:

But they’re not though. So apply your own advice to the situation.

If you can’t do that and see the nonsense behind this text message debacle than I don’t know what else to tell ya.

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Try Googling "empathy".

Th3Birdman said:

For me, Brown was dumb. He should NEVER have sent that text, and I will say he's a dumbass until the day I die. But cutting him for that didn't sit well with me. The Patriots know what's best for the team, and I would be a horrible executive (mainly because I'm a fan, and only care about the X's and O's), but I didn't like the move. I personally feel vindicated that Brady's thoughts were in line with mine.

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Curran is usually pretty good, but this seems a little of a stretch to me.
Or just exaggerated just for clicks.

I'm getting tired of the "Report" / "NFL Rumor" BS being taken as fact and going viral.

Of course Tom was upset, as were most of us.
I was bummed when it didn't work out.
I was super hyped to see TB throwing to AB.

But we all know/ knew if AB made "1" stupid mistake, he was gone.
His track record speaks for itself.

RK and BB are not being made the fool by a player, no matter the talent.

So, I think Tom was just pissed and disappointed, like the rest of us at AB being an idiot.
As far as TB wanting to give AB another chance? I doubt it.

TB will move on and do his job.

The Brandon Five said:

Try Googling "empathy".

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Better yet, consider the fact that children have been used as leverage since the beginning of time.

Commodus: If you're very good, tomorrow night I'll tell you the story of emperor Claudius who was betrayed by those closest to him, by his own blood. They whispered in dark corners and went out late at night and conspired and conspired but the emperor Claudius knew they were up to something. He knew they were busy little bees. And one night he sat down with one of them and he looked at her and he said, "Tell me what you've been doing busy little bee or I shall strike down those dearest to you. You shall watch as I bathe in their blood." And the emperor was heartbroken. The little bee had wounded him more deeply than anyone else could ever have done. And what do you think happened then, Lucius?

Lucius Verus: I don't know, uncle.

Commodus: The little bee told him everything.

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RunAmok said:

If I was Brady I would be upset too. He wasted time working with Brown, investing time and effort, and then he gets released. The Pats knew it was a huge risk and Brady went all in on making it work on the field and then it gets yanked.

It was time that would have been better spent working with the other receivers.

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Exactly. **** Antonio Brown and his inability to grow up. He knew what he had to do and he couldn't do it. Lost $29 million and then lost several million more two weeks later. What a winner.

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Silver Blue&Red said:

Curran is usually pretty good, but this seems a little of a stretch to me.
Or just exaggerated just for clicks.

I'm getting tired of the "Report" / "NFL Rumor" BS being taken as fact and going viral.

Of course Tom was upset, as were most of us.
I was bummed when it didn't work out.
I was super hyped to see TB throwing to AB.

But we all know/ knew if AB made "1" stupid mistake, he was gone.
His track record speaks for itself.

RK and BB are not being made the fool by a player, no matter the talent.

So, I think Tom was just pissed and disappointed, like the rest of us at AB being an idiot.
As far as TB wanting to give AB another chance? I doubt it.

TB will move on and do his job.

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It's well documented here how Curran used to be a great sportswriter until he met with the NBC suits 18 months ago and saw Felger's paycheck.

Thank God for Mike Reiss.

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