Since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, no NFL player has proven as controversial as Antonio Brown. However, it wasn’t always that way. For the bulk of AB’s early career Brown was a bonified superstar. Brown crushed multiple Steelers receiving records and cemented himself as the clear number one receiver in the NFL. To use AB’s own trademarks phrase “Business is Boomin” (or was).
Brown’s reputation went spiraling downhill in 2019 when he demanded a trade from the Steelers on social media (classy). It was then announced on the NFL’s official social media that Brown was to be a Buffalo Bill. AB commented “Fake News”. The Bills then revoked their trade offer for the receiver. After signing with the Raiders, Brown was ready to dominate the league once again. Although AB showed up to training camp in a hot air balloon, he never stepped foot on the field in a Raiders uniform, being dropped after multiple verbal altercations and a trade demand. Brown played one game with Tom Brady and the Patriots last season, before once again being dropped. This past week Brown inked a one year deal with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, a team that seems to love players that are just a bit past their prime. The Bucs are investing into a player who still needs to serve the tail end of his domestic abuse suspension, and poses a threat to the sanity of the team’s locker room.
What allowed Brown to make the cut for my “Athlete Apparel” blog is not so much his streetwear, or postgame outfits, but more so the brand he has built for himself. AB has trademarked the slogan “Business is Booming”, and tries to let the world know that his business is indeed booming, even when it so obviously is not. Although this feel good brand does not currently match Browns reputation, at his peak the “BIB” movement made AB an NFL icon. Brown’s brand inspired kids to scream “Business is Boomin!!” as they ran into the end-zone during a back yard football game, or scored a perfect 100 on a math test. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that AB tried to live his brand.
Am I rooting for AB as a football player? No. I think football should be the last thing AB is focusing on. Antonio Brown has made a spectacle of himself over this past year and a half, and I think it would be best for him to step aside from the game and focus on himself. With that being said, I am rooting for AB as a person. As more and more information about CTE and NFL head trauma begins to surface, Brown looks like a prototypical case of what years and years of football can do to a man. A large group of people, myself included, attribute much of ABs problems to the hit he took from Vontaze Burfict CLICK TO WATCH, a player who is suspended indefinitely from the NFL. The shift between Brown before and after that hit is night and day, and it is scary to think how one’s life can change so fast.
I really like your blog this week; quite a different approach to what you usually write about. Brown seems obnoxious to say the least. I think it is also important that you talked about the impact of head injuries on football players and the role this potentially had on Brown’s behavior. I do genuinely look forward to reading your weekly posts!
Wow he really does sound like a controversial player! I think the way he has tried to keep up this facade that “business is booming” seems very unprofessional. I have heard about the effects of head trauma in football players but this is just crazy to think about how much it can really affect a person’s life!
I watched the video of AB being knocked out by Burfict and winced out loud omg… I could totally see how the hit could be the primary factor that impacted his demeanor and cognition. American football is a fundamental part of modern American culture that has become so glorified in our society. The dentrimental effects of this contact-sport on brain development need to be more acknowledged and precautioned.