Report: Antonio Brown Could Be Fined For Violating NFL Social Media Policy
BOSTON (CBS) -- Antonio Brown may have felt he was just having harmless fun when he streamed a video on Facebook Live shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers' 18-16 Divisional Playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs. But Brown could now be facing discipline from the NFL league offices for his behavior.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on his Facebook page on Monday that a league official told him that Brown could face a fine for violating the NFL's social media policy for his post-game live stream. The NFL's policy, which has been in place since 2009, prohibits players from posting on social media on game days from 90 minutes before kickoff until after "traditional media interviews" have taken place.
Brown eventually deleted the video, which he live-streamed on Facebook while Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the team in the locker room mere minutes after the game ended. The video caught Tomlin referring to the Patriots as "a-holes" and complaining about the NFL's scheduling.
The Patriots have never faced a similar issue with a player using social media during the time frame prohibited by the league's social media policy. Head coach Bill Belichick has always taken a hard stance against players excessively using popular social networks like SnapChat or Instagram, which he has referred to as "SnapFace" and "InstantFace" in past interviews.
Former Patriots receiver Troy Brown said on CSNNE's Sports Tonight that Belichick is likely hammering home the team's "Ignore the Noise" mantra even more than usual this week, with the inevitable controversy that has risen from Brown's video.