Boomers are aging and the sports industry is on its way to being dominated by millennials. While this trend won’t happen overnight, it will be a reality sooner than you think.
Highlights of the article:
- Following Antonio Brown’s startling walkoff, NFL icon Dickerson, Eric has expressed his displeasure with the latter.
- He expects the receiver’s “poor judgment” to haunt him for the rest of his life, according to the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
- Brown’s frustrations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are similar to Dickerson’s own problems with the Los Angeles Rams.
During the 2021 NFL Playoffs, Antonio Brown will not be on the sidelines for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’ll most likely be resting his ankle on his sofa after throwing a rage tantrum and taking potshots at quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians.
In case you missed it (and we’re not sure how), the defending Super Bowl winners released Brown in early January after his stunning walkoff triumph against the New York Jets in Week 17. Dickerson, Eric, a Los Angeles Rams star who is no new to battling with clubs, doesn’t expect football fans to forget about the incident anytime soon.
Antonio Brown’s ‘poor judgment,’ according to Dickerson, Eric, will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Dickerson, Eric (L) had a lot to say about Antonio Brown’s surprising walkoff | Habitat for Humanity/Getty Images; John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images | Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Habitat for Humanity; John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
When the Buccaneers signed Brown in October 2020, they looked over his multiple legal troubles. When the NFL suspended him for faking a vaccination card, Arians hesitated to cut the erratic receiver. Brown’s tantrum on the sidelines, removal of his jersey, and ultimately abandoning his team were all it took for Tampa Bay to cut ties with the explosive wideout.
Although the passage of time is frequently forgiving, particularly in sports, the image of a shirtless Brown leaping into the MetLife Stadium end zone is unlikely to be forgotten for a long time.
Dickerson highlighted Brown’s position and the “poor judgment” that the famous running back feels will follow him for “the rest of his life” in a recent interview with USA Today.
“That will still follow him when he’s my age, when he’s 61 years old.”
Dickerson, Eric
Dickerson labeled Brown a “decent player” before his meltdown, reminding the Buccaneers why they retained him. In seven games and three starts this season, the Super Bowl 55 winner caught 42 passes for 545 yards and four touchdowns.
“He puts forth a lot of effort,” Dickerson added. “His work ethic is unquestionable. But, yeah, the other stuff is incredible.”
Brown’s fury is understandable, according to Dickerson, but he disagrees with the execution.
Although Dickerson is most known for his time with the Rams, it’s easy to overlook the fact that he was moved to the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of his fifth season. The All-Pro running back deserved more money after rushing for 6,968 yards and 55 touchdowns in his first four seasons. The Rams disagreed, and Dickerson was released in October 1987.
Dickerson briefly discussed his conflict with the Rams in an interview with USA Today, comparing it to Brown’s predicament in Tampa Bay.
“There were periods in my life when I despised the Rams. I didn’t despise the team; I despised the organization and the way they operated. I, on the other hand, would never, ever leave a football field. I was always going to put in a lot of effort. Look, you may have a problem with management, but you still have your colleagues.”
Dickerson, Eric
Brown said that Arians tried to push him to play with a bad ankle injury and then cut him in the middle of the game when he refused. Brown never claimed the injury as a reason for his inability to return to the field, according to Arians.
Dickerson also claimed that in 1987, former Rams head coach John Robinson forced him to play despite a thigh ailment. Only a few days later, the Rams dealt their top running back to the Colts.
Since his walkoff, Brown hasn’t stopped talking and heaping gasoline on the fire.
“Brady can’t accomplish anything by himself,” Antonio Brown says. But you’re going to make it sound like he’s some kind of hero. We are all human beings. We’re all reliant on someone else to do the task…. What exactly did he do to assist me? Is he the one who helped me resurrect my career? Because I was able to assist him.”
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 8, 2022
When Arians supposedly cut Brown in the middle of a game, the receiver did not take it easy on that beautiful New Jersey night. In a series of social media tweets and interviews, he slammed the Buccaneers’ organization, Brady, and even former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coach Todd Haley.
The free agent remarked on the Full Send Podcast on Jan. 7 that Brady “can’t do s– by himself,” and that the media has portrayed him as a “heroic man.” During his postgame news conference after the Jets game, Brady conveyed his best wishes to Brown.
Brown has yet to be signed by a club ahead of the playoffs as of this writing. He made it obvious on Full Send that he has no intention of signing with the United States Football League, which will begin play in April.
Brown, who is 33 years old, has a long way to go until he becomes 61. Nonetheless, don’t be shocked if his walkoff is still being shown in blooper reels in 2049 on sports networks.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.
‘My Mouth Hit the Floor,’ says Buccaneers legend Warren Sapp in response to Antonio Brown’s shocking mid-game exit.