Sports bring the worst in fans because sometimes your team will be losing. There have been viral videos of people smashing televisions in frustration and even fandoms who do horrid acts of hatred towards fans of another team. Most of the incidents described are displayed by football fans, National Football League (NFL) fans in particular. In the League, it is common to see jaw-dropping hits, enraged players, or celebratory dances. One player in particular, has displayed all of those actions, his name is Antonio Brown, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The infamous player is once again in the headlines, but not for the usual reasons.
Antonio Brown has been around the League a couple of times. He has bounced from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, and his current team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To officially welcome the new year, Antonio Brown took all of his chest paddings and jersey, during the third quarter of the game, and then started running in the endzone. This was never seen before by any NFL player in history and fans of both teams were shocked at the display. The player is known for Twitter rants and outbursts alike, but his actions during that game were disturbing for all to witness.
Upon leaving the Sunday night game at MetLife Field against the Jets, Brown tried to get through the tunnel. The tunnel is used for a dramatic entrance at the beginning of the game and the (actual) end of a game. According to CBSSports, he tried to enter the football tunnels to leave and was stopped by security because he was seen as a fan because he didn’t have any identification. He reportedly asked for a transportation unit to the airport but was denied. Brown then took a cab to the airport. There was rumor that Brown was told to leave, but him purchasing his own cab showed that he left on his own terms. After the (career-wise) tragic event, Buccaneer quarterback Tom Brady preached for a sympathetic approach towards the situation, “I think everybody should hopefully do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it.” Brady also hinted at the idea of Brown going through something and showing support and forgiveness, but what was the supposed reason for the outburst?
One of the reasons that could have caused Brown to leave in the game was because of the bonus he was expected to receive. The player was promised one million dollars if he met or went above the stats 55 additional yards, eight catches, and one touchdown to get the full one million dollars. At the time of the outburst, he had only three catches and 26 yards. Another cause could have been an ankle injury that he was suffering from going into week 18. As new facts are still coming out, the cause for Brown leaving is still officially unknown.
Despite all the drama presented in the game, the Buccaneers won the game against the Jets, 28-24. After the game, CBS caught up with Coach Bruce Arians for a comment, “He is no longer a Buc. All right? That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys that went out there and won the game.” At the time of the meltdown, the score had been 24-10, Tampa Bay trailing behind.
There are many reasons that could have caused Antonio Brown’s unexpected tantrum, but it is almost certain that he will be free to sign with any team. Signing Brown is always a gamble, like any player, but after this stunt, there is no promise he will play in the League again.
