Antonio Brown cited for 100 mph, then flips off news camera crew
Antonio Brown’s misadventures continue: Is the All-Pro receiver unhinged?
Antonio Brown is having another All-Pro season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he’s had several annoying missteps recently. His latest distraction: he was cited for reckless driving – at over 100 mph – Thursday morning on a city street in a suburb of Pittsburgh. WPXI reported that when a police officer was looking for a suspect in a bank robbery, he saw Brown in his black Porsche and pursued him. The Steelers issued a statement: “We are aware of the situation, but we are still gathering information.” Previous Brown situations this fall included skipping a practice, screaming at his offensive coordinator on the sideline during a game, accosting one of the Steelers beat reporters and calling him “a clown,” and – most serious of all – hurling a vase off a 14th-floor balcony that almost struck a child below.
Dear Antonio: Is it time for you to consider psychological counseling?
Marcus Peters fires back at Saints picking on him
New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas set a franchise record with 211 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, and the bulk of that came at the expense of Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters. Adding insult to a fire-bombing, Sean Payton said in his postgame press conference that prior to a 72-yard TD catch-and-run by Thomas, the Saints coach was hoping for a 1-on-1 matchup against Peters. “They were going to travel Marcus to Michael Thomas, and we really liked that matchup a lot.” To which Peters replied: “Tell Sean Payton to keep talking that shit. We gonna see him soon. We’ll have a nice little bowl of gumbo together.”
Dear Marcus: You’re doing exactly what Payton wants, obsessing about what Thomas did to you instead of moving on. The Saints hope that if they see you in the postseason, you will lose your focus thinking about revenge.
Pens’ GM Rutherford blasts team for complacency and selfishness
The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup two of the past three seasons, but now they’re off to their worst start since 2010-11. They’ve lost their past five games and have sunk to fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. It’s enough to provoke a general manager into trashing most of his roster. Which is what Jim Rutherford did on his radio show on the Penguins’ network. It’s not unusual for a hockey executive to criticize his team, but rarely has anyone used as broad a brush as the 69-year-old Rutherford: “We’re not playing with any energy or determination. We’re just trying to get through the games.” He did not spare the goaltending, which he called “inconsistent.” He cited complacency: “We’ve got some young guys that won a couple of Stanley Cups. Then they get bigger contracts, and then they kind of settle in. They forget what got them to where they are today.” Does he mean you, Bryan Rust? How about you, Olli Maatta? “Then we have some guys who are working toward a contract next offseason. So they change their game. They may think scoring more goals is going to get them more money, so they get away from what their game is.” Could this be Jake Guentzel? Or Carl Hagelin? “Guys come to the game and say, ‘Let Sid (Crosby) and Geno (Makin) and Phil (Kassel) and (Kris) Letang carry us.’”
Dear Jim: Obviously there are players you want to trade. But who’s going to want what you’re selling after you’ve accused 80% of your roster of not giving a damn?
Mike Florio endorses Drew Brees for President in 2036
On Election Tuesday, Mike Florio devoted a segment of Pro Football Talk (NBCS) to consider which NFL player would be the best President of the United States. Florio’s nomination: “Drew Brees I believe at some point will throw his hat in the ring. We will be talking about a Senator Drew Brees . . . presidential candidate Drew Brees. The guy isn’t even 40 yet. This is a guy who I think would be a great commander in chief, a great chief executive, a guy who has proven time and again that he can take his God-given abilities and completely maximize them by busting his ass every day. I hope I live to see it: Drew Brees, President of the United States in 2036.
Between the Lines: If a reality show star can be President, why not a quarterback? Certainly the New Orleans Saints star has shown intelligence, leadership and charisma.
Uber driver posts tape of hockey players ripping their coach, Ottawa’s Marty Raymond
While six players for the Ottawa Senators were sharing an Uber ride in Phoenix last October, they were talking freely about their assistant coach, Marty Raymond, and the penalty-killing unit he directs. The players did not realize they were being surreptitiously recorded and that their conversation would be posted on You Tube. This from Matt Duchene: “Marty Raymond, the only coach in NHL history to have the worst power play and the worst penalty killing within a calendar year of each other.”
Harbaugh in his final season with Ravens, LaCanfora reports
The Baltimore Ravens are one game under .500, but Sunday’s 23-16 loss to AFC Northern rival Pittsburgh brought increasing pressure on John Harbaugh, who coached the team to the Super Bowl championship in 2012. Jason LaCanfora of NBC Sports, said, “I don’t expect John Harbaugh to be back in 2019, with one year left on his contract.” Harbaugh won the Super Bowl in 2012, but there’s local precedent for firing a coach within seven years of winning the Lombardi Trophy. Brian Billick coached the Ravens to the world championship in 2001 and was gone in 2007. The team’s owner, Steve Bisciotti, said he considered firing Harbaugh last year after the team finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs.
Between the Lines: Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager who has been a staunch ally of Harbaugh, announced before the season began that he was retiring at the end. So it’s looking inevitable that the Ravens will lose one of the most respected coaches in the NFL.
