Chad Johnson On Antonio Brown: ‘He Wants Out’ Of Pittsburgh

[Shoes]

Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson has worked out with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown nearly every offseason since he was drafted in 2010. In short, if anybody likely knows what Brown is thinking right now entering he 2019 offseason it’s him. On Thursday, Johnson was a guest on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ and when asked to give his thoughts about Brown’s current situation with the Steelers and the speculated bad rep he seems to be getting since he went AWOL in Week 17, his answer was short and straight to the point.
https://steelersdepot.com/2019/01/ch...of-pittsburgh/

[Mojouw]

ZOMG! A guy who has been out of the league since 2011 (he did have a cup of coffee with the Dolphins in 2012), bounced around with the CFL and a league in Mexico (did anyone even know that was a thing?), and then in 2016 called in a favor with Hue Jackson to try and break into coaching -- wants to grab a piece of the spotlight?! Holy CRAP! He must know everything! There is no way that Johnson is leveraging his relationship with AB into being relevant for the NFL again? Sure, I bet he does really know AB well. Apparently they work out almost every off-season. But what does Johnson want out of this? He doesn't care about banging the drum for AB. He wants a screen time and a short-cut to coaching or training NFL WRs. Same as all these ex big time players. Few of them want to go back into the college ranks, work their way up, and then hit the NFL sidelines. They want to leverage their media and NFL connections, reputations, and visibility into a shortcut to an NFL sideline. Think if Johnson asked around the NCAA ranks that there wouldn't be at least a second tier school that would be like "Holy crap! A former NFL star on our staff? Heck yeah!"

The key quote: "“Anyone that is outspoken, anyone that is outlandishness, any type of personalty that you have, you get the diva label,” Johnson said of Brown. “That’s all that matters. But his work ethic, you already know, I don’t need to say, and it’s an unfortunate situation that’s going on right now in Pittsburgh and he wants out. I don’t know the ins and outs of what’s going on.”

So AB and Johnson hung out, smoke some cigars, did some social media nonsense, and AB vented and blew off steam. Bitched about his job and co-workers. Made claims that he was finally going to quit and go work for that other place across town that respects its employees and doesn't have idiots running the place into the ground. And despite all that, Johnson's bottom line on the situation is that he really doesn't know anything.

I'm glad Shoes posted this. It is relevant to the team. But I'm going to keep banging on the table that a minimal amount of critical thinking skills can easily demonstrate this all a content creation game by the media and former players wanting to stay in the spotlight for their own reasons. I'll pay very close attention when Rooney, Colbert, Tomlin, Rosenhaus, or an actual player under contract to the team says something because I am willing to bet that it will be very different.

[Shoes]

I thought that was funny also.. "I don't know the ins and outs of what's going on"

[fansince'76]

JuJu says AB wants to stay. I'll take JuJu's word for it.

[DesertSteel]

Juju also called the Steelers the Kardashians today. What was his agenda in doing so, since we apparently can’t believe ex-Steelers and media types?

[Mojouw]

Juju also called the Steelers the Kardashians today. What was his agenda in doing so, since we apparently can’t believe ex-Steelers and media types?

Building a brand that paints him as the fresh faced, anti-diva team first worker bee that has been part of his media presence since the jump.

This is all a business. Everyone associated with it has an agenda. Everyone associated with it gets in front of a camera for a reason. That reason(s) is NEVER altruism or transparency.

Why is Juju even there? To build his brand, stump for his endorsements, and elevate his national profile in order to make more endorsement $$$ and increase the visibility and commercial viability of his media brand. He has specifically gone out of his way to establish two things over and over again: 1. I am a team first star on the rise in the NFL. 2. I am not Bell and AB (recent Steelers star players) and if you put your $$$ behind me I won't be on the news for acting the fool or staging a hold-out that makes me worthless as a commercial pitch-man.

None of his interviews, comments, and appearances have very much to do with making the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers a better NFL football team.

Finally, it isn't about believing or not believing any given comment or person behind the comment. Like anything in life, it isn't a simple binary choice. There is a TON of grey area here. All I want people to do is to instead of going from reading/hearing a thing straight to outrage, stop and think about who said what and why they might have a reason to say the thing they said. Almost every single time the thing that was said benefits the person saying more than anyone else.

[stillers4me]

Chad Johnson doesn't even know his own name.

[DesertSteel]

Building a brand that paints him as the fresh faced, anti-diva team first worker bee that has been part of his media presence since the jump.

Lol... you have a rationalization for everything that doesn't fit your life paradigm. Current players, ex-players, message board fans, media types, etc. They're all wrong and everything is perfectly normal and there is no culture problem in the Steelers locker room.

[hawaiiansteeler]

[Mach1]

Lol... you have a rationalization for everything that doesn't fit your life paradigm. Current players, ex-players, message board fans, media types, etc. They're all wrong and everything is perfectly normal and there is no culture problem in the Steelers locker room.

[NCSteeler]

ZOMG! A guy who has been out of the league since 2011 (he did have a cup of coffee with the Dolphins in 2012), bounced around with the CFL and a league in Mexico (did anyone even know that was a thing?), and then in 2016 called in a favor with Hue Jackson to try and break into coaching -- wants to grab a piece of the spotlight?! Holy CRAP! He must know everything! There is no way that Johnson is leveraging his relationship with AB into being relevant for the NFL again? Sure, I bet he does really know AB well. Apparently they work out almost every off-season. But what does Johnson want out of this? He doesn't care about banging the drum for AB. He wants a screen time and a short-cut to coaching or training NFL WRs. Same as all these ex big time players. Few of them want to go back into the college ranks, work their way up, and then hit the NFL sidelines. They want to leverage their media and NFL connections, reputations, and visibility into a shortcut to an NFL sideline. Think if Johnson asked around the NCAA ranks that there wouldn't be at least a second tier school that would be like "Holy crap! A former NFL star on our staff? Heck yeah!"

The key quote: "“Anyone that is outspoken, anyone that is outlandishness, any type of personalty that you have, you get the diva label,” Johnson said of Brown. “That’s all that matters. But his work ethic, you already know, I don’t need to say, and it’s an unfortunate situation that’s going on right now in Pittsburgh and he wants out. I don’t know the ins and outs of what’s going on.”

So AB and Johnson hung out, smoke some cigars, did some social media nonsense, and AB vented and blew off steam. Bitched about his job and co-workers. Made claims that he was finally going to quit and go work for that other place across town that respects its employees and doesn't have idiots running the place into the ground. And despite all that, Johnson's bottom line on the situation is that he really doesn't know anything.

I'm glad Shoes posted this. It is relevant to the team. But I'm going to keep banging on the table that a minimal amount of critical thinking skills can easily demonstrate this all a content creation game by the media and former players wanting to stay in the spotlight for their own reasons. I'll pay very close attention when Rooney, Colbert, Tomlin, Rosenhaus, or an actual player under contract to the team says something because I am willing to bet that it will be very different.

Do you think with ABs social media call out he would let TO and Ocho go on TV and speak for him, without putting them on blast? Yeah I don't think so, if they were speaking out of turn he would let it be known

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[Dwinsgames]

nothing to any of it just listen AB will tell you so

[Mojouw]

Lol... you have a rationalization for everything that doesn't fit your life paradigm. Current players, ex-players, message board fans, media types, etc. They're all wrong and everything is perfectly normal and there is no culture problem in the Steelers locker room.

That's not it all. It's simply rejecting simple answers to difficult questions. Steelers could've had a band of Brothers locker room, impeccable leadership, and never a whisper of a single misstep by a player all 2018 and it doesn't change that they would be sitting home right now wondering what went wrong. The inability to cause turnovers, total incapable nature of the defense versus 4-5 reciever sets, missed kicks, and the predictable play calling over the final 40% of the season would've made them a division round playoff out at best.

Again, I've never said these intangible locker room issues don't have an effect, but I reject the major full explaination impact that the easy answer to hard questions national media wants to spoon feed all of us.

Ask yourself why all these guys go on national media and position themselves as having all the answers. Hines Ward, Bettis, Clark and whoever else don't really care about the 2018 or 2019 Steelers. They care about their brand and profile. Bettis hasn't had as big of a presence since they booted him off SNF. Clark is trying to get a regular gig. Ward, don't know. But I know he didn't just show up in Atlanta because he was bored at home.

[Mojouw]

You can have all the leaders in the world and if the fundamental approach is flawed it won't matter. Until this team gets better at breaking tendencies, they won't get over the 9-7 to 10-6 one and done playoff hump.

Two easy examples. In the Cincy game they ran that pick play twice to win the game. They then spent the rest of the season running it again and again. There was a late season national televised game where they ran it yet again and Ben got lucky to fit the ball between the DE hands as he was dropping into JUJUs route. Whole stadium knew it was coming.

Chargers game is another extreme example. The Chargers have multiple on the record interviews stating they knew Allen in the slot would draw a linebacker each and every time. Preceded to exploit that how many times?

Until this team changes from it doesn't matter that the other guys know what is coming because we are talented enough to get away with it, I truly believe that no amount of leadership or locker room unity will change outcomes.

[AtlantaDan]

Lol... you have a rationalization for everything that doesn't fit your life paradigm. Current players, ex-players, message board fans, media types, etc. They're all wrong and everything is perfectly normal and there is no culture problem in the Steelers locker room.

I am with Mojouw on JuJu working to build his brand as the selfless team player.

I like JuJu (or more accurately JuJu's image - I obviously have no clue what he is like aside from what he shares with the public) a lot, primarily because he has the potential to become a great reciver.

But he knows how to play the media and this quote insinuated there are divas in the Steelers locker room, although JuJu of course is too nice to say who, but JuJu remains pure and will not be corrupted by those bad influences

Asked which Steelers players are divas, Smith-Schuster laughed subtly and didn't discuss names, focusing on himself.

"Being in that locker room, I've learned a lot," he added. "I know that I would never want to be a problem to any franchise."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25893413/juju-smith-schuster-steelers-got-stop-being-divas-kardashians\

If it is all about team why not stay away from the interview circuit this week.

[st33lersguy]

Chad Johnson? Oh yeah the clown for the Bengals that got repeatedly slowed down by Ike Taylor

[Shoes]

[DesertSteel]

That's not it all. It's simply rejecting simple answers to difficult questions. Steelers could've had a band of Brothers locker room, impeccable leadership, and never a whisper of a single misstep by a player all 2018 and it doesn't change that they would be sitting home right now wondering what went wrong. The inability to cause turnovers, total incapable nature of the defense versus 4-5 reciever sets, missed kicks, and the predictable play calling over the final 40% of the season would've made them a division round playoff out at best.

Again, I've never said these intangible locker room issues don't have an effect, but I reject the major full explaination impact that the easy answer to hard questions national media wants to spoon feed all of us.

Ask yourself why all these guys go on national media and position themselves as having all the answers. Hines Ward, Bettis, Clark and whoever else don't really care about the 2018 or 2019 Steelers. They care about their brand and profile. Bettis hasn't had as big of a presence since they booted him off SNF. Clark is trying to get a regular gig. Ward, don't know. But I know he didn't just show up in Atlanta because he was bored at home.

The same sun softens the wax and hardens the clay. Some teams handle distractions and locker room drama and other teams fold under it. I believe that this version of the Steelers, lead by the drama queen Ben himself, fit the latter category. The point is that you continue to ignore what current players (Juju, J. James, Pouncey, et al), ex-players (Ward, Harrison, Bettis, Blier, et al), beat writers, national media types, etc. all say. In your mind, it couldn't be because they're right. Just because someone has an ulterior motive for saying something doesn't mean that what they're saying is wrong.

[Mojouw]

The same sun softens the wax and hardens the clay. Some teams handle distractions and locker room drama and other teams fold under it. I believe that this version of the Steelers, lead by the drama queen Ben himself, fit the latter category. The point is that you continue to ignore what current players (Juju, J. James, Pouncey, et al), ex-players (Ward, Harrison, Bettis, Blier, et al), beat writers, national media types, etc. all say. In your mind, it couldn't be because they're right. Just because someone has an ulterior motive for saying something doesn't mean that what they're saying is wrong.

Drama didn't lose a single ballgame. Bad defensive players, terrible gameplan, and turnovers lost all those games.

But drama as an answer is easy and makes talking heads sound in the know.

It isn't like this team wins a SB if Bell and AB were choir boys.

Unless that meant they also would play ILB and DB.

[Steeldude]

nothing to any of it just listen AB will tell you so

Is he drunk or high?

[stillers4me]

Is he drunk or high?

- - - Updated - - -

AB reminds me of someone.....

[86WARD]

Drama didn't lose a single ballgame. Bad defensive players, terrible gameplan, and turnovers lost all those games.

But drama as an answer is easy and makes talking heads sound in the know.

It isn't like this team wins a SB if Bell and AB were choir boys.

Unless that meant they also would play ILB and DB.

No but having Bell and Brown as choir boys means the offensive roster is stronger and to play your game, a couple plays may be changed in a positive direction and this team scores more points, Bell doesn’t fumble where Conner did, teams play the Steelers offense differently with Bell and Brown and the Steelers are playing Sunday despite not having the ILB and DB you are looking for.

Seems like a lot of people (not just you) want to look for an excuse and not face the possible reality that there could be truth behind what the ridiculous amount of current and former players are saying.

[FrancoLambert]

Drama didn't lose a single ballgame. Bad defensive players, terrible gameplan, and turnovers lost all those games.

But drama as an answer is easy and makes talking heads sound in the know.

It isn't like this team wins a SB if Bell and AB were choir boys.

Unless that meant they also would play ILB and DB.

So, you seem to be saying that intangibles don’t exist.
If you can’t measure or quantify something it will have no effect on a player’s or team’s performance.
Sounds like a logical explanation, but I don’t think high level competitive sports work that way.

[NCSteeler]

Since this thread has turned into a team chemistry thing. I wanted to add that it sounds like GB was in similar boat. A few players saying what they want to see most from third new coach is accountability. Several mentioning players late to team bus and plane late to meetings.

Similar results from a coach who has been in one spot too long with and over powering star QB .

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[HollywoodSteel]

I’m not sure why people are jumping on Mojouw. Yes, the AB thing is a problem. Yes, Tomlin has work to do in the locker room. But it’s CLEARLY been way overblown by the media, as it should be for their interests. It’s not that all these ex players are totally wrong, it’s that they are overhyping a relatively minor variable in the grand scheme of things, not to actually HELP the Steelers, but because they want the spotlight.

A few made kicks this season that were missed, and there would be ZERO culture issues worth talking about.

It’s the losing that’s the issue. The losing CREATES the negative “drama” worth talking about. Not the other way around.

It’s about perspective and clearly understanding people’s motives before deciding what the biggest problems are. The persistence of the noise itself doesn’t necessarily indicate the actual size and importance of the issue.

[86WARD]

It’s definitely been taken to the next level by the media but a disconnect exists within that locker room and the Kardashian style drama week in and week out hasn’t gone away...

In this most recent instance, I believe that AB is trolling the media more so than having serious thoughts on leaving Pittsburgh and I don’t think the Steelers front office is pissed that he hasn’t called...the players have no obligation to call anyone at this point if the season. They have to be there when the football calendar says so and they have to earn their check. AB three his hissy fit, Tomlin punished him and the season ended.

[Dwinsgames]

Is he drunk or high?

he is mega stoned IMO

[Mojouw]

So, you seem to be saying that intangibles don’t exist.
If you can’t measure or quantify something it will have no effect on a player’s or team’s performance.
Sounds like a logical explanation, but I don’t think high level competitive sports work that way.

I’m not sure why people are jumping on Mojouw. Yes, the AB thing is a problem. Yes, Tomlin has work to do in the locker room. But it’s CLEARLY been way overblown by the media, as it should be for their interests. It’s not that all these ex players are totally wrong, it’s that they are overhyping a relatively minor variable in the grand scheme of things, not to actually HELP the Steelers, but because they want the spotlight.

A few made kicks this season that were missed, and there would be ZERO culture issues worth talking about.

It’s the losing that’s the issue. The losing CREATES the negative “drama” worth talking about. Not the other way around.

It’s about perspective and clearly understanding people’s motives before deciding what the biggest problems are. The persistence of the noise itself doesn’t necessarily indicate the actual size and importance of the issue.

Hollywood took the words right out of my mouth in answer to this post. I've never meant to say that intangibles or whatever don't have any impact, just that they don't have the primary impact.

To hear the media and the former players tell it the Steelers problems are:

1. Drama
2. Culture
3. Nothing else

For me the problems are:

1. Lack of impact talent on defense
2. Turnovers on offense
3. Predictable second half offensive play calling (I don't know if Fichnter prepped enough plays each week or what...)
4. Terrible defensive schemes that put players in positions to fail.
5. Lack of a consistent vertical element to the offense. Washington and others just never consistently connected with Ben enough to make teams back coverages off like they have in the past.
6. Still have not recovered from the Shazier sized hole on roster. Bostic was what he was. And the "3 safety" plan was torpedoed before we could see it due to injuries to Golden and Burnett.
7. Idiotic Locker Room Crap
8. Gilbert basically missing most of the season. Fieler is pretty good, but Gilbert is really good. The blocking schemes and run game calls changed. And they did not change for the better.

[Steeldude]

he is mega stoned IMO

You would think they would test him after that interview.

[Fire Goodell]

LOL 85 definitely was no Hines Ward thats for sure