Any tremors felt in the Bay Area this week were less likely to be any type of earthquake and more likely to be emanating from the offices of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, where the Raiders' leaders were shaking as a result of the tweets spewing from recently acquired star receiver/diva extraordinaire Antonio Brown.
The second-year coach and first-year general manager had to be thinking, Can't you lay low and just play ball for awhile, AB? That would have been my hope after parting with a couple draft picks and paying Brown an additional $11.2 million to accept the trade. Meanwhile, the Steelers have to be reminding themselves that a leopard can't change its spots, and Pittsburgh is better off without the receiver.
Brown has morphed into the worst kind of player — a shaky teammate who can't be trusted to act professional — and he is now Oakland's problem.
2019 NFL DRAFT:
Plan for Raiders | Plan for Steelers
Pro sports team owners and management fear social media precisely because of the forum it gives "me" guys like Brown. I dealt with plenty of big-ego players in my years as a team executive, but it was different then with no Twitter or Instagram. In my work today for an agent firm, I caution our players to be careful in their postings.
This is life in the fish bowl, and anything they say could become news instantaneously.
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In his sniping at Ben Roethlisberger, Brown seemed to have a method to his madness. He wanted to leave Pittsburgh and make more money in the process, something the Steelers were not going to provide after signing him to a $17 million-per-year contract in 2017. Mission accomplished. Brown is the rare player to force a team's hand and come out smelling like a rose.
But why would he, then, continue to taunt the Steelers with mean-spirited tweets? His most recent target is former teammate and fellow receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
This is not a calculated move to tick off management; it is a jealous swipe at a player who was voted 2018 Most Valuable Steeler by his teammates, and it was in response to a Pittsburgh fan tweeting a graphic with the Smith-Schuster MVP statement in response to Brown telling fans to "keep your emotions off the internet."
Talk about thin skin.
It is also testimony to the idea that Brown has to be the center of attention at all times and craves celebrity status. I agree with the assessment of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, who on his FS1 show said, "I'm embarrassed for AB. You know what it did? Gave JuJu a lot of fans."
Early in his Steelers career, the descriptions of Brown generally were that he was a hard-working, sixth-round draft pick who was a good teammate and an intense competitor whose skills as a returner and receiver improved dramatically in his early years. Then, at some point, an ego-driven diva was created.
I thought it began after his stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2016. Or maybe during the 2016 season, when he drew Mike Tomlin's ire by posting the Steelers coach's derogatory locker room comments about the Patriots on Facebook Live prior to their AFC title game matchup.
Not so, apparently.
According to his former Pittsburgh teammate Ryan Clark, Brown's change for the worse began when he received his first big raise to $8 million per year in 2012. Clark says Brown started screaming at the Steelers’ defensive players in the ensuing training camp: "Don't touch me. I'm the franchise."
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Yes, Brown is a seven-time Pro Bowler who has more receiving yards (11,207) and receptions (837) than any player since he entered the league in 2010. At age 30, he appears to still be at the top of his game, as he is coming off a season with 104 catches for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. And those numbers were over 15 games because he decided to skip the final week.
But how can his new Raiders teammates, especially QB Derek Carr, believe Brown will not throw them under the bus if it fits his mood and brings him more headlines?
Will he complain about Gruden's game plans if he is not targeted 15 times each week?
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Pittsburgh's failures with Brown will endure
If I were in charge of the Raiders, I would have a serious chat with Brown about his behavior on social media. I would tell him he needs to put the Steelers in the rear-view mirror and focus on being a great player for his new team.
The reality, though, is such admonishments likely would go in one ear and out the other. It is only a matter of time before Brown posts a damaging tweet about one of his new coaches or teammates, or inflames the opposing team with a taunt.
This is who Antonio Brown has become. And it's unbecoming for any professional athlete.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on negotiation and sports business/sports management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
