Antonio Brown stole the show in Thursday’s NFL season opener, erupting for 121 yards and a touchdown on five catches in the Bucs’ 31-29 win over Dallas. Brown, who ranks second among active receivers in career receiving yards, was, you could argue, the best player on the field Thursday night, routinely torching opponents with his masterful route-running and remarkable knack for creating separation downfield.
The 33-year-old’s dominance, though undeniable, puts fans in an awkward position, having to differentiate between Brown’s immense talent and his controversial past including multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. As we’ve seen with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Bauer this summer, that juxtaposition of ideas—acknowledging a player’s athletic greatness while also being revolted by the sordid details of their alleged off-field indiscretions—can be difficult to talk about. Enter longtime color commentator Cris Collinsworth, who had this to say about Brown’s performance Thursday night.
Comedian Mike Birbiglia released a standup special called, “What I Should Have Said Was Nothing,” and, judging by the harsh responses he received on Twitter, Collinsworth would have been well-served following that advice.
Sports can serve as a much-needed escape—Lord knows we need one after an apocalyptic 18 months of COVID, not to mention all the political strife and social unrest that’s resulted from it—but it can also be a minefield, fueling difficult discussions many of us aren’t prepared for. Brown’s legal issues appear to be behind him (his sexual assault lawsuit was settled out of court) and he’s already served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s code of conduct. There are teams and owners that wouldn’t touch Brown with a 10-foot pole, but others, like the Buccaneers, are just as willing to forgive and forget as long as he’s productive.
Probably every team you’ve ever rooted for has made certain concessions to players with known off-field demons, whether it’s the Steelers continuing to prop up Ben Roethlisberger or New Orleans hitching its wagon to Jameis Winston. The prevailing “tribalism” of sports fandom unfortunately doesn’t allow for much nuance on this subject, though hopefully more discerning fans and media members like Collinsworth are able to distinguish between Brown the Hall-of-Fame-caliber receiver and his impossible-to-justify behavior away from the gridiron.
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