PIT WR Antonio Brown skips Monday practice

[RandyMossIsBoss]

AB is a diva, just has had such stellar success that it hasn't had time to show. I bet this has just as much to do with his relatively poor start than anything else. Add on to that the team losing, and he's being a drama queen. This probably won't become anything bigger, but there are ways in which Tomlin/Steelers can handle this that would make it an issue. Tune in.

[Broncofan]

FWIW....

 

 

 

[footbull3196]

I think this speaks more to the culture going on in that Pittsburgh locker room than to this story actually being news worthy in itself

[Broncofan]

Just now, footbull3196 said:

I think this speaks more to the culture going on in that Pittsburgh locker room than to this story actually being news worthy in itself

That's the main driver to this - things are not happy in Steeltown.

Of course, that's what happens when you are winless in 2 games.   A W in Tampa will likely cure a  lot of these ills.  But the dynamics we've seen with Bell and the locker room, and now here, do suggest there's a locker room issue that might be even more of a problem than what this ends up amounting to at  the end of the day.

[43M]

Just now, Broncofan said:

Thing is, it wasn't a reporter, it wasn't a PIT org member.  It was just a former disgruntled employee.   Honestly, to crucify AB in the media and fanbase - for a guy who's taken a hometown discount, and who plays hurt, and is an ironman, jeez I dunno.

They guy who bashed him was an idiot...I agree.

1) How do you figure he took a hometown discount?    We made him the highest paid WR in the league at the time.

2) Most players play hurt.   A $17m a year player damn well better do the same.

Just now, Broncofan said:

All elite WR's are divas by nature.   OBJ, Hopkins, everyone.   Some are just more behind-the-scenes than others.   To go after AB now, looking at it from the outside, he's literally the least of the problems PIT has.  ILB, CB, a GM who drafts one guy thinking it's his brother (I kid...kinda, that was the only explanation I can think of for that reach that early).  

I know most elite WRs are divas....but not all.   Larry Fitzgerald has never been anything close to a diva.

I dont think any fan would claim Brown is the problem....but acting like this doesnt help anything.

 

Just now, Broncofan said:

If that was a tweet to a beat reporter, or to a member in PIT's org, totally different story.  But man, to me, that's a nothing burger on AB's end.  To call him out for that is weaksauce IMO.   Just my take from the outside.

I didnt have an issue with anything Brown did until he skipped practice, seemingly because his little feelings are hurt.

[RandyMossIsBoss]

4 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

Thing is, it wasn't a reporter, it wasn't a PIT org member.  It was just a former disgruntled employee.   Honestly, to crucify AB in the media and fanbase - for a guy who's taken a hometown discount, and who plays hurt, and is an ironman, jeez I dunno.

All elite WR's are divas by nature.   OBJ, Hopkins, everyone.   Some are just more behind-the-scenes than others.   To go after AB now, looking at it from the outside, he's literally the least of the problems PIT has.  ILB, CB, a GM who drafts one guy thinking it's his brother (I kid...kinda, that was the only explanation I can think of for that reach that early).  

If that was a tweet to a beat reporter, or to a member in PIT's org, totally different story.  But man, to me, that's a nothing burger on AB's end.  To call him out for that is weaksauce IMO.   Just my take from the outside.

Fitz? Andre? Calvin? Something about the WR position draws more divas than any other, no doubt about that, but it's not a thing where being elite makes you a diva or it's an essential trait to succeed.

[Thomas5737]

Pittsburgh media didn't take AB's side on this yesterday from what I heard. Talked about prior "me" issues, called him a diva, complained about him sulking as he walked off of the field after Ben ran for a TD, yelling at his OC, said he was unhappy that Juju had more targets and basically said he does owe a lot of his success to Ben.

He is a diva and he is a me first player. He is plenty good enough that you happily take it.

[Broncofan]

17 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

They guy who bashed him was an idiot...I agree.

1) How do you figure he took a hometown discount?    We made him the highest paid WR in the league at the time.  

Wrong phrasing - unlike guys like Julio as his deal is clearly below market for being the best or even top 3 - no calls to redo the deal or hold out.   The way it should be, but never an issue.  

17 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

2) Most players play hurt.   A $17m a year player damn well better do the same.

Fair enough.  

17 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

I know most elite WRs are divas....but not all.   Larry Fitzgerald has never been anything close to a diva.

I dont think any fan would claim Brown is the problem....but acting like this doesnt help anything.

Fitz & Megatron are the exceptions that prove the rule.   

17 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

 

I didnt have an issue with anything Brown did until he skipped practice, seemingly because his little feelings are hurt.

Totally fair take.  

[43M]

10 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

Pittsburgh media didn't take AB's side on this yesterday from what I heard. Talked about prior "me" issues, called him a diva, complained about him sulking as he walked off of the field after Ben ran for a TD, yelling at his OC, said he was unhappy that Juju had more targets and basically said he does owe a lot of his success to Ben.

He is a diva and he is a me first player. He is plenty good enough that you happily take it.

He is also a highly paid professional who should conduct himself more professionally.   

As a pro athlete, you have to be able to deal with criticism.    Joe Thomas played for your team despite all the issues and he never complained.    Not once.    Brown gets pissy because the media and fans are being mean because he complained about not getting enough targets or Ben not being on the same page as him for a couple games.     

[Broncofan]

3 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

He is also a highly paid professional who should conduct himself more professionally.   

As a pro athlete, you have to be able to deal with criticism.    Joe Thomas played for your team despite all the issues and he never complained.    Not once.    Brown gets pissy because the media and fans are being mean because he complained about not getting enough targets or Ben not being on the same page as him for a couple games.     

Just to be clear you are talking about not reporting to practice.   Him getting criticized for his tweet is dumb on the media’s part and frankly on the fan base that did it as well.    But it doesn’t justify not reporting to work the next day either.

Judging from Tomlin’s comments it wasn’t an excused absence, either.  

 

 

 

[Shanedorf]

5 hours ago, FourThreeMafia said:

Lets not act like this is anything more than a prima donna player with thin skin.

You might be right, but remember: Thin skins tend to go ballistic when ridiculed publicly.
Tomlin has to massage that thin skin or it can get out of hand real quick

[showtime]

Why would someone like Antonio Brown respond to a nobody like that guy?  And then to respond like that?  Antonio Brown is the prime candidate for a superstar who should not have a social media account.  He also responded like an absolute moron to a well respected veteran Steelers media member in training camp who simply said something like, "Antonio Brown limped off the field".  Brown went off on the guy, when EVERYONE reported the same exact thing.

He's obviously really sensitive and he's not smart enough to know how to respond to stuff like a professional.

[showtime]

31 minutes ago, footbull3196 said:

I think this speaks more to the culture going on in that Pittsburgh locker room than to this story actually being news worthy in itself

Yup.  It's been like this for a while now.  Tomlin has lost his control over the locker room and these guys are doing and saying whatever they want.

[buno67]

Just now, showtime said:

Why would someone like Antonio Brown respond to a nobody like that guy?  And then to respond like that?  Antonio Brown is the prime candidate for a superstar who should not have a social media account.  He also responded like an absolute moron to a well respected veteran Steelers media member in training camp who simply said something like, "Antonio Brown limped off the field".  Brown went off on the guy, when EVERYONE reported the same exact thing.

He's obviously really sensitive and he's not smart enough to know how to respond to stuff like a professional.

That guy isn’t a nobody. Pretty sure I read some where that the guy use to work for the Steelers 

[showtime]

Just now, buno67 said:

That guy isn’t a nobody. Pretty sure I read some where that the guy use to work for the Steelers 

He is a nobody.  He doesn't deserve a response by Antonio Brown, especially because what he said was pure nonsense and untrue.  The fact that Brown even acknowledges stupid stuff like this is really surprising to me.  The person who posted that Tweet is someone who bashes the Steelers all the time.