(01-01-2019, 09:51 PM)6andcounting Wrote: This could be true, but Tomlin is allowed to bench Brown from practices or games under "coach decision" and as long as his knee was actually injured the Steelers are in the clear. If the injury was fake that would be a huge issue, but that would be a conspiracy theory at this point. 

Quote:Violations of the rules regarding injury reporting usually happen when a team conceals a player’s health issue. Rarely does anyone get in trouble for reporting a fake injury, or for exaggerating a mild one.

The Steelers land in that unusual category, if Monday’s Antonio Brown bombshell is accurate (and there’s no reason to think it isn’t). So apart from the question of what the Steelers will do about Brown, it’s important to ask what the NFL will do about the Steelers.
As one league source has observed, “overt lying” on the injury report is a much bigger problem than Brown’s antics, because shenanigans with the injury report speak to competitive issues, about which the league office should be very concerned. It’s unknown whether the league office actually is concerned or will take action; the NFL has not responded to an inquiry from PFT regarding the situation.
Whatever happens and however it plays out, the Keith Butler/Tyler Eifert coverup suddenly pales in comparison to what apparently was a deliberate decision to hide the dysfunction by brushing off Brown’s absence from practice and from Sunday’s game as the product of an injury, when in fact there was no injury — or at a minimum no injury that would keep Brown from playing.
The motive for hiding the truth is obvious. The Steelers didn’t want yet another distraction or disruption as they faced a must-win game. And if word had emerged that Brown had: (1) thrown a football at Ben Roethlisberger; (2) stormed out of practice; and (3) not shown up for practice on Thursday or Friday, it would have been a HUGE distraction and disruption from preparations for Week 17.
The huge distraction and disruption has now arrived, but the Steelers have nothing else to currently do. Coach Mike Tomlin will still have to address the situation, since his end-of-season press conference will happen on Wednesday.
Unless he decides to not show up.

(01-01-2019, 09:57 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: Ultra Steelers fan Florio has been asking the same question all day

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/01/will-nfl-investigate-steelers-for-overt-lying-on-injury-report/

(01-01-2019, 10:07 PM)GMDino Wrote: Injury was reported.  AB received treatment during the week.

(01-01-2019, 06:29 PM)cinci4life Wrote: All week the injury report said that he didn't practice because of a knee injury and they were not optimistic about him playing because of it. And he was listed inactive because of it.  Now he probably did have a knee issue however it comes out a day later that he skipped practices because he had a hissy fit and benched. That's clearly being untruthful and deserves punishment.

(01-01-2019, 10:54 PM)Sled21 Wrote: They said he wouldn't play, and he didn't. What am I missing. Who gives a shit what the real reason was....

(01-01-2019, 10:25 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: And you know more than the people at all the sports news outlets?? How do you know this?? You don't.  

(01-01-2019, 11:41 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: which implies the possibility of him playing.

(01-01-2019, 10:25 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: And you know more than the people at all the sports news outlets?? How do you know this?? You don't.  

(01-01-2019, 10:54 PM)Sled21 Wrote: They said he wouldn't play, and he didn't. What am I missing. Who gives a shit what the real reason was....

(01-02-2019, 11:17 AM)GMDino Wrote: I'm just repeating what the "sports news outlets" reported.  No some guy on a website outside of the city.

But to be fair *I* do not know everything about the situation...and neither do you.

*You* just want it to be true.  

(01-02-2019, 08:43 AM)6andcounting Wrote: All they're doing is speculating. First they said he demanded a trade, then they admit he never said that but he left a practice that he wasn't participating in anyways so that's basically they same thing. Now they are speculating he wasn't really injured when this injury and his treatment had been public since before Wednesday. 

(01-02-2019, 08:35 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You know the old saying "where there's smoke, there is fire".  At least the media is doing their best to stoke the coals on this one.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/antonio-brown-fuels-49ers-rumors-with-latest-social-media-activity/ar-BBRIJKE?ocid=spartandhp

As if the Steelers didn't learn their lesson through the Le'Veon Bell debacle.  Now, they have a high dollar, diva WR that seems to love all of this conflict and drama.  Oh, and if the Steelers were to deal him, they eat something like $21M in dead money.

Y'all Steeler fans have fun watching this one sort itself out!  

(01-02-2019, 08:51 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: Are they speculating that he UNFOLLOWED his own team, threw a football at a team mate, refused to get a mri, disappeared for three days , refused to take any communication from the team,left at half time during Sundays game, threw furniture off a balcony almost hitting a child? What will it take to admit this guy is a first class nut job? He knows ,like Bell did , that he has your team over a barrel because of the 21 million dollar hit they will take if they get rid of him. I am getting some popcorn this crap is getting good.

(01-02-2019, 09:07 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: I've been saying every chance that I get, that the Steelers are going to get $14.5M in cap relief next year from the Leveon Bell situation, so the effective dead money in only $6.5M and well worth it.

It does suck that they would have to "spend" that cap space on letting Brown go, but I think it makes it much more palatable and is well worth it. 

Also there's some speculation that the dead money hit is only $7M. The article is a bit confusing, but Ed Bouchette is no slouch. He knows his shit. 

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/01/02/antonio-brown-trade-rumors-steelers-salary-cap-nfl/stories/201901020122

Personally Im kind of excited by this. IF IF IF IF they play their cards right and make some bold moves, they can correct and overcome this and make themselves better in very short order. Of course that is a BIG if. The Steelers aren't known for making bold moves. 

(01-02-2019, 09:48 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: You are excited by losing you top weapon on offense? As much as you would like to think some team will give you a cache of draft picks his recent history would limit his value. He has a great salary fr the next two years but I doubt the Diva will play for another team for that salary. This almost seems planned by AB.

(01-02-2019, 10:01 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: He'd be cheap to the next team. They can get him for 3 years at $12.6M, $11.5M, and $12.5M. That's it. 

And yes I'd be absolutely fine without him. Im not doubting or denying his greatness, but all of the other bullshit cancels that out. You'll never 100% replace him, but you can do 80% for sure, and Ill take that. I think its possible that the offense could be better off without him. No more worrying about getting AB his touches. No more worrying about answering questions about AB pouting. Shit, no more worrying about whether or not AB will even be there. Addition by subtraction. Look at what the Cowboys did when they moved on from Dez. 

(01-02-2019, 10:08 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: Do you actually think this Diva is going to play for that contract? He has the say over who he goes to. Did you not pay attention the last years with Bell.

(01-02-2019, 10:01 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: He'd be cheap to the next team. They can get him for 3 years at $12.6M, $11.5M, and $12.5M. That's it. 

And yes I'd be absolutely fine without him. Im not doubting or denying his greatness, but all of the other bullshit cancels that out. You'll never 100% replace him, but you can do 80% for sure, and Ill take that. I think its possible that the offense could be better off without him. No more worrying about getting AB his touches. No more worrying about answering questions about AB pouting. Shit, no more worrying about whether or not AB will even be there. Addition by subtraction. Look at what the Cowboys did when they moved on from Dez. 

(01-02-2019, 08:51 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote:  What will it take to admit this guy is a first class nut job?