Recalling Antonio Brown’s Meltdown
February 21st, 2022
Mike Evans details the freakout.
You could make a very good argument that when furniture-tossing, bicycle-winging, tantrum-throwing former Bucs receiver Antonio Brown bolted out of the MetLife Stadium tunnel after doing topless jumping jacks in the end zone, the Bucs chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions went with him.
Do the Bucs lose to the Rams in the playoffs with Brown? Unlikely.
It will be one of the saddest moments in Bucs history, never to be forgotten. And one guy who was a direct witness, Bucs stud receiver Mike Evans, detailed what happened with Brown from his perspective.
O.J. Howard and Evans were the only two Bucs players who tried to calm Brown down and quash the explosion. Speaking with Matt Harmon of Yahoo! recently, Evans visited the not-so wayback machine to explain the episode.
MIKE EVANS: I mean, what I remember is we were trying to get him to come back in the game. You know, he was saying he wanted the rock, and I mean, rightfully so. We should have gotten the rock. I mean, he’s an unbelievable player. But like, yo, come in the game, AB. So we’re asking him to come in the game. We’re on offense. And I’m like, AB, big bro, come on. Let’s go in the game. They’re calling for us, because me and him are both on the pitch count, because we’re both coming back from injury. And so I’m trying to get him to come in the game. And he doesn’t come.
So I go back on the drive. I do my two plays. I come out. And then I see BA still trying to get him to come in the game. And they had like a falling out somehow. And AB goes off. And he’s about to take his pads off. And I’m trying to grab his pads and tell him like, yo, big bro– because me and him have a relationship.
And I don’t want him to go out like this. Like we obviously we need him, so I’m telling him, big bro, we need you. The season’s almost over. If you don’t want to be here the next year, you can leave, you know what I’m saying? Like obviously I just didn’t want him to go out like that. So I’m telling him, please don’t go out like this. And they’re calling me to come back in the game. So I just left him alone like, all right.
And then second, third down comes. We score in that drive. But then on TV timeout, we see that he was doing all that stuff, taking his pads off, doing jumping jacks and [MUTED]. I mean, it was unfortunate. I mean, I didn’t know that it was going to go down like that. I mean, I thought, you know, we was going to have a chance to go to the playoffs and probably repeat. And he would have definitely helped us.
Yeah, it is sad Brown went out like that on a number of levels. But Evans was trying to reason with a mental case. You cannot reason with crazy people.
Joe really wonders if Tom Brady winds up on the 49ers’ roster, will Brady still provide Brown a room in which to stay. And would John Lynch put up with Brown’s nonsense?
February 21st, 2022 at 5:24 am
Screw that pos….
February 21st, 2022 at 6:13 am
Have you seen him on Instagram? He looks like a damn maniac- him and Kanye-they look like they have a new Isis inspired fashion line- off the deep end…
February 21st, 2022 at 6:15 am
Wearing rain boots and black masks over their entire faces as if it’s cool….
If this is pop culture God help us all
February 21st, 2022 at 7:01 am
I still think BA mishandled the vax card situation from the start! he should have fought to reduce the suspension & reassured AB he was a Buc and not play his mind games in the media. thats the issue that led to the meltdown. now the reports that Brady has soured on him should speak volumes!
February 21st, 2022 at 7:12 am
While we are at it…..let’s revisit the Holocaust, 9-11, Columbine Sandy Hook & Hurricane Andrew….
February 21st, 2022 at 8:21 am
This all goes back to the show BA had to put on for the media over the vax card incident. Threatening to cut him instead of just saying he’ll deal with it after the suspension or simply the NFL has punished him. Grant it another stupid shat move by AB. It’s apparent Evan’s was in the game when BA told AB to get the Fk out of here, your off the team. Imagine if BA just ignored him and let Brady handle it when he got to the sideline but I guess the whole getting your arse whipped by the Jets and a week about all about me and covid was too much for the old fart to handle. IMO they both should be sharing a padded cell. Yes they would of repeat with the addition of AB.
February 21st, 2022 at 8:23 am
Sorry Cricket, would have!
February 21st, 2022 at 8:28 am
Only an idiot would blame for the he’d coach of any team for demanding respect by getting rid of a player who refuses to play for selfish reasons. What kind of coward would endorse letting players do and say whatever the hell they want for fear one might quit or retire? At the point you let a clown like AB run your team, you have already lost the respect of the rest of the team. I’d hate to see what that List guy above me household must be like. I guess his kids run him and tell him what they will and won’t do and he is too scared to do anything about it. I respect BA for doing his job as the leader of the team.
February 21st, 2022 at 9:06 am
What Mike doesn’t hear / see, is Arians went over, told Brown to get into the game. Brown tells Arians he’s hurt and can’t go. Arians says get in the game. Brown says he can’t go. Arians goes nuts, tells Brown if he can’t go, he’s fired – Arians later says that he fired AB at that point on the sideline. Everything AB did after that, the clown show, is after he’s told he’s fired, cut from the team.
Brady saw the clown show – but I doubt he knew the full story until later, and I said the day it happened, that if Brady retires, we should remember this moment, because Arians handles it like a jackball. AB got all the attention because of the clown show he put on, but Arians, based on what I’ve read from that Incident, actually unprofessionally and severely hurt the teams chances at winning the SB and robbed Brady of his favorite target when you already had no depth. It was amateur hour from Arians – he threw a fit.
February 21st, 2022 at 9:32 am
I couldn’t agree more with Rod-Munch! BA’s dictator like mentality and handling of the situation is why we dont have another Superbowl, Tom retired, and players wont want to play for BA. players talk and im sure most of them know the real story that we’re not privy to.
February 21st, 2022 at 9:40 am
He is/was a great player and might have made the Bucs winners that day if only…
February 21st, 2022 at 9:46 am
You put 2 cocks in a ring, what do you expect, a cockfight.
This is about the only personnel management example that I agree with BA on. You can’t let a selfish impulse control-less manchild call the shots on the sideline. That fncker is a cancer that repeatedly has been cut out.
February 21st, 2022 at 9:48 am
AB and BA cost the Bucs big time. BA seemingly pushed TB12 out of here which I happen to believe because that is what BA is. Anyways, now we probably will have to hope for a good coach next go around because I promise that if BA drove Brady to retire a season or 5 before he was teady then I can imagine how bad BA has lost this team. I think there is a good chance we are on the brink of another lost decade. How fun…
February 21st, 2022 at 10:01 am
Why are you still posting about this idiot? You must really ran outta things to post huh?
February 21st, 2022 at 10:37 am
Any Team that picks up AB belongs in the same mental institution. This TB to the 49’ers makes no sense either.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:48 am
This constant rehash about a player no longer on the Bucs needs to end. What is the point in talking about it ad nauseum? We can’t predict the cuter and don’t know that the Bucs would have been in the SB. Stop it. Drop it.
Having story after story about this simply points to there is nothing happening in the NFL so rehash the AB and Brady stuff.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:00 am
Rod I don’t know what sources are telling you this but there is zero evidence to support your assumption.
Mike Evans just gave a first-hand account of AB complaining about targets, not ankle pain. AB claimed in his statement to be in “excruciating” pain before leaving the field, there is not so much as a wince from him on the tape. He was making cuts on the field and doing jumping jacks off the field. Any claims of “adrenaline” went out the window the moment AB claimed he was in “excruciating” pain before leaving the field. You can’t have it both ways. AB was already revealed to be on a pitch count because of his injury. If he was hurt, why not go to the trainers? Why wouldn’t BA believe him? Why wouldn’t BA consult with the trainers? Why do we have first-hand accounts and multiple reports of him complaining about targets instead of ankle pain?
AB is a narcissistic compulsive liar clown and has proven it to the world.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:02 am
Human mood is a Sin wave like variation. Woman has a wide range compared to man, that is why we have to be gentle to our partner even they get angry. Some people like AB has wider range and easily get mad. The Bucs accepted his worst thing to reach the SB, so they should treat him like a little girl. They should let Tom handle with AB even the incentives. I completely understand why AB got mad at Tom because Tom is too soft against the coach. Tom should stand up to protect AB a his little sister.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:05 am
Antonio Brown betrayed the entire organization and we fans. HE did it. By blowing it up he made fools of Brady and us fans who thought he really did change. He really is grateful to the Bucs and Tom that they still believed in him. Betrayal. Coward. Immature. Spoiled. Arrogant.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:20 am
AB is Tampa Bay’s ultimate Benedict Arnold. Hands down. We’ve had our share of horses we have beat to death. But ole AB truly deserves his.
February 21st, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Mike also spoke previously to Larry Brown Sports network two days ago . IT was similar but Mike said AB was upset because he wouldn’t” give him the rock” and
.that they were both on a pitch counts. The ankle excuse was just Ab showing his
butt and you can’t get the rock if you don’ t go in the game. The ankle was all BS . His jumping Jack Flash exit proved that. Ab chose the selfish way out just like he did in Pittsburg when he was fighting with Big Ben over his and Ju Ju Schuster’s targets.
February 21st, 2022 at 12:30 pm
I truly believe that in the end it’s going to come out that this was a BIG part of any Brady/Arians bad blood. Brady knew we needed AB more then ever with Godwin out. Arians did too but lost his cool when AB started his nonsense on the sideline. Oh what could have been…
February 21st, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Joe says: Evans was trying to reason with a mental case. You cannot reason with crazy people. ok so there is no truer statement than this shame but no specific person’s fault be glad we got a superbowl–he was good for that! AB is done, just a memory now no more game for him
February 21st, 2022 at 4:15 pm
Arians not bein able to manage personalities destroyed the situation for us. Hot headed coaches with little imagination are not good for the modern game
February 21st, 2022 at 4:21 pm
AB acted like a child and was treated like a child. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Eff him! And for anyone who thinks corporal punishment is some kind of abuse, read the news and get back to me.
February 21st, 2022 at 4:24 pm
@Rod – he didn’t tell him he was fired. He told him to go the lockerroom if he wasn’t gonna play. And it’s now confirmed by multiple teammates it was all about his targets, and had absolutely nothing to with his ankle. Can’t believe anyone still buys AB’s BS.
But BA clearly should have been more precise with his words, instead of saying “get the f out of here”, which Brown clearly took the wrong way.
No worries tho, it just propelled the downfall of the Brady era, bringing us back to the Suckaneers. No big deal at all.
February 21st, 2022 at 5:10 pm
The AB situation cost us TB12. BA pulled the pin on the hand grenade that cost the Bucs a repeat SB.
February 21st, 2022 at 6:28 pm
A team can not be blackmailed by anyone.
February 21st, 2022 at 7:21 pm
He is a POS who just threw Brady and the Bucs under the bus yet again after everything they did for him. This was all about him thinking he should’ve got the ball more. After Brady made sure he got his bonuses last year he suddenly didn’t think that would happen this year? Prima donna diva piece of crap.
February 22nd, 2022 at 1:56 am
@Bob in valrico:
I’d love to see how you type your posts. I’ve been reading the english language for over 50 years, and your writing is unlike anyone else’s. Your sentence structure and punctuation usage are like nothing I’ve ever seen.
“Bob in valrico Says:
February 21st, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Mike also spoke previously to Larry Brown Sports network two days ago . IT was similar but Mike said AB was upset because he wouldn’t” give him the rock” and
.that they were both on a pitch counts. The ankle excuse was just Ab showing his
butt and you can’t get the rock if you don’ t go in the game. The ankle was all BS . His jumping Jack Flash exit proved that. Ab chose the selfish way out just like he did in Pittsburg when he was fighting with Big Ben over his and Ju Ju Schuster’s targets.”
-Inserting a space before a period.
-Starting a sentence with all capital letters.
-Inserting a space after using an opening quotation mark.
-Inserting periods in the middle of a sentence.
-Hitting Return in the middle of a sentence. (You do this one a lot!)
-Inserting a space after an apostrophe.
Your takes are good, but your syntax is not. Type slowly, and proofread even more slowly. I’m hoping that this attempt at constructive criticism will provide the stimulus your posts desperately need.
February 22nd, 2022 at 2:15 am
@Rod Munch:
That’s a terrible take. A person like AB doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. He’s used up all his chances. I’m shocked to see that you’ve been duped. AB is a child in a man’s body, and everyone knows it, while BA has earned the respect of literally hundreds of adult-minded NFL coaches and executives, as well as thousands of players, over the course of his career. You’re on the wrong side of the ledger on this one, fellow Bucs fan.
February 22nd, 2022 at 3:45 pm
As we wait for Brady to end these nonsense rumors about his displeasure w/ the Bucs. What makes you guys think he’ll do that when he has yet to talk about the AB situation really, the guy talks s**t about Brady on social media every other week. No Brady response…
Let’s not hold our breath hearing from him…