eventually, Antonio Brown is not going to be on
the Buccaneers and he still is now. Look it occurred to me a little
while ago. So I'm trying to figure out what the motivations
are here. What's really going on? He
is getting paid for this week. So it isn't about money, right?
He's still on the team long enough into the week to get his
game, check for this week and I haven't suspended him for
conduct detrimental to the team,
your pay vests on Tuesday. If they were going to take action
against him. It should have happened by Tuesday. It didn't.
He's on the team. He's getting his final check.
Check. Now. We've thought most of the week that this is about
the Buccaneers ensuring that a Antonio Brown doesn't end up
with someone else for the playoff run and that could
still be part of it because
simply due to the fact that Browns Camp finally broke their
silence last night. It doesn't mean they're telling us
the truth either. It's possible
as the priest once said to
Elaine Benes, and David putty,
you're both going to hell. It's possible. Everybody's lying.
It's possible. Nobody is dabbling in the truth on this.
And we have to keep that on our radar. Our screen as we
process what was said, by Antonio Brown, or more
accurately, was written by someone and issued on behalf of
Antonio Brown
last night. And that it's not it look, the Jalen hurts didn't
write the letter that was sent to the Washington football team
in the NFL. Somebody wrote it for me. That's what happens.
Yeah, you guys have other things to worry about, that's
why you have people.
Why am I paying you? I'm paying you to
write stuff that I would, otherwise have to write myself,
but I have an agent and I have a lawyer, and I have people who
make Sure, these things get handled. So
somebody wrote something, right? And Antonio Brown
released last night is his statement and its long probably
longer than it needs to be.
But the gist of it
is that Antonio Brown insists.
He was injured,
Antonio Brown, addresses the fact that
you know, yeah, he was able to run around and run off
the field, but that's not the same as being able to run on
the field and make your cuts and play football. It
there's an MRI. That backs up the idea that he has a serious
ankle injury. He needs surgery
and he implies that he's not going to try to play football
until next year. So from his perspective,
at least the impression, they're creating. He's not
trying to get himself to another team to finish out
the season. Now,
it's one thing to say it. We're still the property, the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. It's another thing
to say it
once they've waived you you've cleared waivers and you can go
side with another team. So, Oh, I I'm not ready to say that.
That's 100% truthful. This is just part of the tug-of-war to
get him out of there.
Right? But but, you know and and look the
part of the pressure that is being placed on the Buccaneers.
Chris comes from the claim made by Antonio Brown that
he
Told and Bruce Arians, right? The coach of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers that he couldn't play due to injury
and Aaron's new and of course, he knew, I would course he knew
going into the game. He was injured
but during the game when Aaron said go out and play Antonio
Brown says, I can't and they go back and forth on that and
eventually Aryans shouts. This is the claim
shouts. You're done, does the throat slash gesture.
And that's the end of that for Antonio Brown. And one point
I didn't mention as you see on the screen. Antonio Brown
claiming that he took, he calls it an extremely dangerous
painkiller to the Toradol shot. You talk about it all the time,
right? He took the Toradol shot
so he could play with the painful ankle injury under pressure
from his coach Bruce Arians. So, they're thrown as much
money as they can back on. Aryans to make him look like
the bad guy in all of this. Yeah, they definitely are. And,
you know, it mean wide receiver would be the one position that
that might not actually use toward.
Unlike a consistent basis quarterback as well,
right? You know, you've heard me and we've had these common
options, why not? Well, just because I guess the game's not
quite as you don't have to go out, you're not going to be
expected to just knock heads off, right? And be physical all
the time, right? So I do think it's one position where,
you know, those guys go. Okay. Yeah. I might have to block
some people but my life is not about hitting people and doing
that to where,
you know, they're highly, they're the highest of
the level of athletes that Mandy B's as far as on the NFL locker
room to where. Yeah, I Don't think they are as consistent as
may be offensive. Linemen. Defensive linemen, linebackers,
fullbacks running backs. Like I've told you where teams I'm
on.
I mean, 90% of the team definitely in line to take
a tour at all shot before the football game.
Then there's, you know, a few guys who don't ever do that
unless they have to and it sounds like Antonio Brown might
be in that that little class there. But
yeah this is
it cya time. Cover your, you know, what, cover your butt
time from both sides here, you know, we did dab over here but
Joe.
Cover your butt jobu, and we did we did dabble in
the thought of yes, we know the bat, the the Bucs don't want
Antonio Brown to go somewhere else. But also we knew there
was some legalities here, being talked about or tossed around
in the the
back end here by the Bucks because
it is a weird way to end. They got to make sure they're,
they're not, you know, liable and anyway doing anything
wrong. The nflpa, of course is going to get involved in this.
Go ahead. What do you want to say? And add to that? Well, no,
but yeah,
but but here's the thing you're talking about legality.
He's and I don't disagree with that. But, yeah,
but
it feels more like a PR play if this isn't about and
everybody's covering their but here. Yeah, everybody's
covered. Right? But everybody is, is advancing a story that
they want us to believe. So we side with them,
I side on the truth. And the problem is and this is so much
like any piece of litigation that's out there in any
Court in the country.
You have one side here, one side there
truth. Here. Yeah, and and that's probably what's going on
in this case. But my point is, as it relates to legalities.
I don't know what the legal issue would be at this point.
Oh, yeah, you made me. You made me play when I was injured.
Well, who doesn't at
at times? Get some sort of direct or indirect pressure.
It's not like there's a cottage industry of litigation against
the NFL. By players who played in games
when maybe they shouldn't have played. Like they're this does
not more egregious told ya. This does, right. Right, but
there's stuff but there's still isn't some big major cash
prizes awaiting Antonio Brown if he can prove this. Yeah, it
feels more like a PR play
and a power play. Let's make this as ugly and awkward for
the Buccaneers as we can, so they will cut me now,
so I can go ahead and see that's where it falls. That's
where it does fall apart a little bit. I'm glad you're
going here, too, because I was really more talking about
the legalities aspect of the the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right
here.
But I was going to get that from said, I don't know what
legal issues. They I don't know what legal exposure they would
have for something like this. This doesn't seem like it seems
like more of a PR problem than a legal problem. Yeah, maybe
you're right. That's what I'm saying. Maybe you're right, but
I think the point you bring up about,
you know, Antonio Brown. And what are they trying to
accomplish through this? I guess maybe save face, you
know, that that would be the first thing. Make sure you get
another opportunity to play in the NFL next year, right? So it
doesn't just look like you were a total Misfit here
and just a complete running Aid and what? You did that, you're,
you know, I think his Camp, his side. They're trying to justify
the actions that we saw on TV and have seen on social media
and everything there. So I guess that's would be there
their power play there, right? Mike. I mean,
I mean, it's that or what your kind of, I think referring to,
or is it like some sneaky way to just, hey, get this done,
get get rid of me, cut me so I can go play for another team.
I don't know, but it's the great unknown about this right now.
If you have a compelling story to tell as to what happened on
Sunday
and why you ran off the field half-naked, and
and why you believed you couldn't play. Yeah, why you
believed you were being pressured to play and
everything associated with the message that came through. In
this statement.
It's probably better for your long-term interest. If you want
to get back in the NFL to not make it all public. I'm
So to fire shots at your coach, because
we've seen this before, and we've said this before,
if you are blasting, your way out the door
with accusations and insults
of the people in charge of the team that you're currently
playing for.
That'll chatty scenario other shy away. Yeah, that'll that'll
I don't want to. Yeah, I don't want to be the next one and and
look that. That's that's what. And again, talent
talent is the great deodorant for this kind of stuff which is
why the Patriots pounced on Antonio Brown the same day. He
was released by the Raiders after a reign of terror that
lasted
for a full month
where it was dysfunction and
and disagreements.
And from Frozen feet to the helmet issue to
the, in the interaction with Mike Mayock, and all
the ugliness after that Spurs. Don't let us not forget about
that. And what do we am IA in the last week of the regular
season and a
must-win game and then just showing up on game day and
expecting to play,
you know, yes, I didn't mean to cut you off. I was just adding
to the list with you there. But my point is this yeah. Point is
this if you want to convince someone to give him a job next
year.
This is a story that may be better told.
Behind the scenes and privately. The problem is
the Buccaneers have pushed him into a corner
publicly by
creating the impression that this was all the product of
some sort of a mental health Episode by Antonio Brown,
right? And and and that part of it, for my perspective has been
unfortunate because
that's the easiest way for the Buccaneers to cover up their own
potential responsibility for this
by just kind of doing.
Gaslighting thing, just kind of you know, yeah, he's crazy. You
know, it's yeah don't blame us. Right. This guy's crazy right
crazy and you're crazy. If you don't think he's crazy. Because
look at this. It's the product of crazy. I'm so, you know,
I don't want to be glib about it. But
I feel like I hear you extent, the Buccaneers are trying to
engineer an outcome. The outcome that they want to
engineer is they want us all to think that there's something
wrong with him, and there's nothing wrong with them. Yeah.
No, I think. That's exactly right. I mean, you know, and
you read the full statement,
it sounds like, you know, The Bucks kind of,
we're putting the pressure on Antonio Brown and his side to
basically go. No, except that story that it is that, you
know, hit it was mental health issues and there's no other
story. And let's move on with life. So there were certainly
pressure there. That's not a good. Look for the Buccaneers.
Listen.
I came away last night, reading the statement and a lot of ways
like,
you know, my stance from the other day. Yeah, it's hard for
me to totally by Antonio Brown at his word. At this point of
his career, it is Sorry, I don't mean to be a jerk.
I mean, I don't I have compassion
but yes, it's hard for me to buy, you know, I mean, he's,
you know, it's like,
it just it's too many instances, like you just went
through it. Where, where, where do you really trust them? I'm
not sure where to draw that line. So that's where. And
then, you know, I talk about hey, I watch the game back.
You don't see a limp.
You know, I sent you a clip right of him. Running around
like you're needin cut like four or five different times.
You don't see anything. So the tort always work. Y'all. You're
right. You're right. I'm not I'm again. I'm just the let me
finish. I know. And that
I know about that, right? But if he's on towards all, that's
the explanation. You're right. It could you can make you feels
numb as possible. There's no doubt about it. And that can
let you do jumping jacks in the end zone and run you out there.
So, what I was getting to is just that,
you know, I came away also feeling bad. I didn't know how
to feel. I felt bad.
You know, I do, you know feel bad for Antonio Brown. He's
obviously, have some issues here, and this is a tough issue
and
Do 100% realize he's got an ankle issue? I guess it's
the way he went out. And then, you know, you look at,
you know, you look at the film and some of those things. So,
where I came away, I guess a little more conflicted than
I expected it to be. I did
and, you know, I came away a little bit more.
I guess. Feeling a little more compassion for him
and maybe leaning towards his side a little bit more in this
in this discussion or argument. Maybe then I thought I would
have
after kind of hearing his side and
and Him State, some of the things that he stated in this
comment. Well, and the thing I keep coming back to, no matter
what, the two versions are and hey,
we've seen it time and again,
in football, in the industry, in the broader
scope of things, lies are told all the time for strategic
reasons. And I'm a firm believer and I've said this
time and again mean
success on a football field is premised in large part on
successfully, deceiving your opponent lying to your opponent
making your opponent think you're going to Zig when it's
You're going to zigzag everything that we see from
the play-action pass to the Zone, Blitz, the Statue of Liberty,
the fake punt.
It's all about making your opponent. Think one thing and
doing something else. And then that spills over to strategies
that relates to Personnel, acquisition from what your
Draft plans, are your free agent plans are.
And I think that what happens a lot of times is people don't
know where the line is or should be between acceptable
lying and unacceptable lying. The end result is everybody's
lying
all the time and one of the things we try to do
Is smoked out because sometimes
what is said by a coach and GM and owner or a player is only
truthful when it just happens to aligned with the Strategic
interest that underpins what they're saying and why they're
saying it so
everybody could be lying here.