It's All an Act


Image result for antonio brown smiling patriots

By: Rhianna Dozier 

Look at that smile. His kind eyes. His nose crinkling beneath his laugh lines. That is the face of a man who woke up every Sunday morning to run down a field, catch balls flying fiercely through the air, all while potentially getting smacked to the ground while trying to score a touchdown. His love for the game and determination to win made him arguably one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He was a public figure to most and a hero to some. Would you expect such a man to be accused of something so horrid as rape or sexual assault? Would you look at him and believe that he posted a video regarding a public nuisance that was the final straw that ended his career? Before I share his fate, let me present you with the facts from his story. Antonio had a great career with the Steelers and the Raiders. When he started becoming good and contributing to many of the teams' wins, the spotlight caught him. His popularity grew along with his ego and ignorance. 

 Brown has a track record of wins, but he also had a long-lasting list of incidents regarding sexual assault charges and anger issues. Once Brown joined the New England Patriots, the secrets came spilling out. Brown's former "lover" came forward to the court claiming that Antonio Brown had sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions. According to the lawsuit, "Brown sexually assaulted Taylor twice during training season in June 2017. First, he exposed himself and kissed her without her permission." Later that month, Taylor claimed that Brown assaulted her again by masturbating behind her while watching TV ("Antonio Brown Accused of Sexual Assault, Rape in Federal lawsuit"). After this alleged accusation was deemed false, Brown thought he was in the clear. 
"I'm a changed man" has been Brown's motto in the NFL for weeks now. After three separate sexual assault charges, Brown claims he is trying to work on his anger issues and spend more time with his family and friends before returning to what he loves the most: football. 
However, on January 15th, Antonio Brown posted a live-stream video on Instagram of him cursing out police officers outside his Florida home. In the video, Brown is shown screaming across the street at several police officers and the mother of one of his kids. Brown is swearing very loudly as his ex and three of his kids pile into the back of the police car. After the incident, the police department had returned a donation that Brown gave to the department's youth football league. Brown has not played in another NFL game since Week 2 after he was charged with rape, and after the live-stream incident, the NFL is struggling to decide whether or not to close the doors on Antonio Brown completely. 

Nonetheless, this issue deals with the First Amendment of freedom of speech. Sports players, especially NFL players, are huge icons to their fans. When players speak out against issues, they can spark a riot or movement from their fans who express those same concerns. Antonio Brown, despite his aggressiveness, has the right to speak out on accusations being made against him as he pleases. Players speak out on issues all the time, but for the NFL to close their door on Brown is saying he does not have the right to speak rudely towards others, violating his freedom of speech. Even if it's a lie, Brown still has the right to express his thoughts and feelings. Antonio Brown's story accurately represents the masks we live in as humans.  


































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