Antonio Brown Lit up by NFL Fans After ‘Fantasy Football’ Tweet

Wednesday morning, Antonio Brown revealed on his Instagram profile that he still wants to play in the NFL. Specifically, he called for the New England Patriots to let him earn his money considering that he believes they will have to pay him as part of a $40 million grievance filed against two separate teams.

As part of this live stream on social media, Brown also proclaimed that the best receiver is actually at home in Miami instead of on the field and making plays for fantasy football teams.

In order to gain support for his quest to return to the league, Brown asked fans on Twitter to “Rt if your fantasy team miss me.” In theory, this would be akin to a grassroots campaign on social media that would gain momentum and ultimately convince the Patriots to add Brown back to the roster.

As it turns out, this tweet was met with a much different reaction than Brown expected. The majority of responses revolved around how the league is better without Brown on the field and how he is “a clown.”

There were certainly those that did show support for Brown on Twitter, but they were fewer in number than those that wanted to poke fun at the veteran wide receiver.

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Heading into the season, there were many that expected Antonio Brown to continue producing at a high level after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers. He scored 15 touchdowns while sharing targets with JuJu Smith-Schuster, so what could he do as the unquestioned starter in Oakland? 

As it turns out, that answer was never revealed. Brown forced his way out of the Bay Area prior to the regular season starting and was subsequently dropped from multiple fantasy rosters. 

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When Brown was released by both the Raiders and the Patriots, there was one man that became very angry. OJ Simpson released multiple videos on Twitter in which he called out the veteran receiver for ruining his fantasy football team. 

Granted, the jokes on Twitter revolving around OJ and someone with the last name of “Brown” may or may not have related to a criminal case from 1995. 

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While there were many that debated whether or not Brown would be a better addition to fantasy football rosters around the world, there were many others that had some other fun at his expense. For example, there was one individual that created a custom Madden control scheme just for the veteran wide receiver. 

As the image shows, all of buttons corresponded to a specific incident from Brown’s controversial end to the 2018 campaign, the following summer, and the start to the regular season. 

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When Brown posted about fantasy football on Twitter, there was a very noticeable split in the responses. Some were straightforward comments about the wide receiver and his off-the-field headlines. Others, however, were far more subtle. 

For example, there was a reference to Brown suffering from frostbitten feet after an accident in a cryo chamber. 

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Fantasy football drafts leading into the 2019 season were filled with difficult choices. Considering that Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott were both holding out for new contracts while Antonio Brown was in a tenuous situation, there were many afraid to use a draft pick on a player that may not be available. 

Both Gordon and Elliott have since returned their respective locker rooms and are available for fantasy GMs around the world. Brown, however, remains away from the NFL and is taking up spots on multiple rosters. 

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Brown may want to get some recognition for his impact on fantasy football teams around the world, or lack thereof in the 2019 season, but there are many on social media that want to know about his priorities. Specifically, shouldn’t he be in the middle of class considering that it’s a Wednesday during the school year? 

The former New England Patriots wide receiver recently re-enrolled at Central Michigan University and has been asking for help on his English papers. However, his classes are online, which means that he doesn’t have to show up at a specific time. 

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The jokes continued to appear in Antonio Brown’s mentions on Wednesday, many of which referenced his past and present legal issues. One response even mentioned the lawsuit filed in 2018 after Brown allegedly threw furniture from the balcony of a luxury condo in Miami, nearly hitting a small child. 

This case was ultimately settled out of court for an unknown amount of money, but the owner of the condo is still suing Brown for damages to the unit. 

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There were many on Twitter that wouldn’t admit to selecting Antonio Brown in various fantasy football drafts, but there was one individual that wanted to let the world know of their decision. User MJs Goat selected the former Patriots wide receiver early in their draft and subsequently lost a crucial roster spot in return. 

However, Brown being absent from the field has not affected their record during the early portions of the season. MJs GOAT appears to be heading for a spot in the playoffs. 

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Fantasy football aside, there were many users on Twitter that wanted to know the truly important information. For example, will Brown keep the number 84 in the future? It’s the number he wore with the Pittsburgh Steelers and during a few short months with the Oakland Raiders. However, the Patriots had him wear number 17.

Granted, Brown said on Wednesday that he would not be playing for the XFL. “It’s not even in the question,” he said. Football fans are taking a “wait and see” approach. 

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The grievances filed by Antonio Brown against the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots are made up by a number of factors, including guarantees from both contracts. His grievance against the Raiders, however, also revolves around more than $200,000 that he was fined for disciplinary reasons. The Raiders believe that his conduct was detrimental to the team, and Brown disagrees. 

On a much smaller scale, there are many football fans that viewed Brown as a bad influence on the locker room. In return, they released him and won’t be paying out any guaranteed money from this fake sport. 

Photo Credit: Tom O’Connor/NBAE/Getty