AB will be remembered as a jerk, and it didn't have to be that way

By Joe Smeltzer

On the surface, it's hard not to like Antonio Brown.

Without context, that sentence is hilarious given what's transpired over the past three months, so here's my explanation.

From an on-field standpoint, Brown was easy to root for in Pittsburgh. Every fan loves an underdog story and Brown had a good one, growing from humble beginnings that included a brief period of homelessness to earning a division one scholarship. The journey continued in the NFL when Brown rose from pick No. 195 to become the best wide receiver in the world, and the best in Steelers history at his position.

Every fan loves a player who can deliver in big games. While his team consistently fell short in the postseason, Brown didn't take a step back when the chips were down. Even before he became a star, Brown, as a rookie, made some of the biggest plays of the Steelers' Super Bowl XLV run, particularly his "boombox" catch against the dirty birds in the divisional round. So when the Steelers traded possibly one of the ten best players in their esteemed history, while he's still a few years off from his expiration date, fans were, at least to some extent, happy about it.

While some are upset with Brown now being richer than ever and/or the Steelers not getting enough back for him, nobody is pissed that Antiono Brown is no longer with the Pittsburgh Steelers. What does that tell you about Antiono Brown, the person?

It tells me that Brown's "underdog story" of being drafted in the sixth round may have had more to do scouts being turned off by is attitude than undervaluing his ability. After all, how many two-time all-americans, even from Central Michigan, fall to the sixth round?

It tells me that, frankly, Brown just don't give a damn about the organization that gave him a platform to accomplish what he has, and put up with his baloney for several years along the way. It reminds me of how powerful agents are in the sports world, as a lot of AB's words are products of Drew Rosenhaus, the kingpin of NFL handlers. 
It also says a lot about the Steelers. It tells me that they shouldn't have let AB's shenanigans that started with celebrating every first down reception like it was VJ day, turn into much more of a monster. It tells me that maybe extending him weeks after the Facebook live nonsense wasn't a great idea.

It indicates that Brown is  partly a product of Mike Tomlin letting his stars roam free (not that Tomlin is the only NFL coach that does that, but it's sure blown up in his face more than his colleagues, hasn't it?)

The way Joe Smeltzer sees it, the whole AB saga can be summed up by two things; Brown being a child with a horrendous mustache, and the Steelers' family style way of doing business smacking them in the face. The former is what I care more about, and because of it, when Brown gets into the Hall of Fame largely for his contributions as a Pittsburgh Steeler, it's going to be an intriguing ceremony. It's a shame that a player who was so beautiful to watch on the field is so voliatle everywhere else in life.