Dunlap: Give Me More Antonio Brown
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- What a week.
What a sideshow.
What a human, this Antonio Brown.
It just never stops with him.
Know what I say? Good. He makes my business boom.
His antics and the way he conducts his life like one big, 24/7 reality show is something that seemingly has the Steel City riveted.
Have we talked much about the game against the New England Patriots this coming Sunday in the run-up to what probably is a contest that will have a deep, indelible mark on the career of Ben Roethlisberger? Well, we've talked about the game some, but definitely not as much as we would have had Antonio Brown not taken to Facebook Live while the sweat was still pouring off players following the victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Then there was Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger criticizing Brown --- Steeler Nation talked about that.
Then there was Brown's apology on social media (of course) about his prior antics on social media --- everyone talked about that.
Then there was the news conference on Wednesday that Brown was fashionably (because he was getting a haircut) late for where he apologized some more --- everyone talked about that, naturally.
You see a trend here, right? Antonio Brown is a showman; he's a performer and entertainer. And he knows it. He can't do anything low key.
He knows how to capitalize on that immense, bright grin being beamed into televisions all over this country. Sure, he understands his anchor is as a football player, but man does Antonio Brown know how to clutch that spotlight or what?
And you know what? I say more power to him. If people want to watch, keep reeling them in; make that money and capitalize, AB!
Damn, America is a wonderful place!
Now, don't get me wrong, I was vehemently against Antonio Brown going on Facebook Live unbeknownst to his head coach and a few others in the Steelers locker room in Kansas City. It wasn't just unwise, it was also an invasion of privacy. For that action, he should be made to pay. Tomlin has insisted Brown will pay.
But let's get past it, from there.
I don't think Brown's act in the locker room was malicious. Rather, I think Antonio Brown just has less-than-zero self-awareness. Again, Tomlin said he will pay for it.
So as we push forward, let's embrace Antonio Brown for what he is --- one of the greatest football players on the planet and a harmless and hilarious People Magazine kinda star.
I know I'm right about all of this, and here's how I can tell …
No matter what you say, no matter how hard you try to fight it, no matter how much you holler about being "fed up with" or "tired of" Antonio Brown, you just can't look away.
You can't do it. Your nebby nature won't let you.
You gripe that the media is beating a dead horse with the Facebook Live story and its fallout, but then you drink in all the coverage.
You complain about how those in the media --- and just some average Joes on the street --- are paying far too much attention to Brown and not the football game about to be played, but then you devour seemingly each one of his tweets, Facebook posts and stuff on Instagram and Snapchat.
You are the same beings who complain about his showy and ostentatious car, but if you saw it, you'd snap a selfie with it.
Is AB all about AB? Hell yes he is. And Pittsburgh is all caught up in it.
He has us exactly where he wants us and, truth be told, it's the best reality show going right now.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
