Medina Today

Let’s talk athlete meltdowns.

Many of us have seen the videos of Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown having a public meltdown during the Jan. 2 game against the New York Jets. The troubled wide out threw off his pads and jersey, danced in the end zone, waved to the crowd and left the field. Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians announced immediately after the game that Brown was off the Buccaneers for good.

“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said. His quarterback, Tom Brady, said, “That’s obviously a difficult situation. We all love him, care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best, but unfortunately, it won’t be with our team. I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”

First, we heard from coaches that Brown refused to go on the field and play, then left the field shirtless.

Most of us, immediately knee-jerked and said, “Good that he is gone. No room for that in football.” After all, he has a history of histrionics, and earlier this season it was revealed that he and some teammates lied about their vaccination status and submitted fake vaccine cards, resulting in a three-game suspension for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.

But our reaction came before we got all the pertinent information. I have learned that it is not wise nor prudent to jump to conclusions before you have gathered all the evidence, because things may not always be as they seem. Or are they?

Brown’s spin was that he had an injured ankle and that he had discussed it with coaches. He was injured, in pain and couldn’t do the job on the field and told them so.

The coaches said they had never heard about an injured ankle.

Brown countered with pending ankle surgery. So now, many lean back on Brown’s side.

But other sources have said that at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Jets, Brown was agitated about not getting the targets he was expecting during the game and had to be calmed down.

So, what do we sports fans believe? Whose side are we on? I think we take a deep breath and wait for all the facts to come out and decide then … no need to rush to judgment. Besides, who knows what we will hear or discover tomorrow?

But it puts me on the subject of athlete meltdowns. This one will make the list of best ones. Here are a few others.

Mike Tyson bites off Evander Holyfield’s ear – In a 1997 title fight, in a clinch, Tyson bit down on Holyfield’s ear and bit it off and spit it out, after an accidental head-butt by Holyfield. 

Ron Artest crowd jumps and punches a fan – In 2004, Artest, then a member of the Pacers, went into the stands to fight a Pistons fan who had thrown a beer at him. The incident became known as "The Malice in the Palace," At first, we didn’t know about the beer throw … does it make a difference that he was provoked?

Pedro Martinez throws down an old man – The Yankees and Red Sox have a storied rivalry, OK, hatred for one another. In a team-to-team brawl, 72-year-old Yankees coach Don Zimmer (who had a steel plate in his head) went after Red Sox pitching ace Pedro Martinez back in the 2003 American League Championship Series. Thirty-two year-old Martinez threw Zimmer down to the ground, and the battle royal really began.

John McEnroe – “Are you serious?” – At Wimbledon in 1981 against Bjorn Borg, after a shot was called out, McEnroe slowly approached umpire Edward James. He raised his voice and said, “Chalk flew up all over the place. You can't be serious, man. You guys are the absolute pits of the world.”

More tennis … Serena Williams goes ballistic -- Already struggling against Kim Clijsters during the 2009 U.S. Open, a visibly frustrated Serena Williams was called for a foot fault. She approached the much-smaller line judge, waved her arms and fist and (according to some, though Williams denies this) said, she could and would kill the judge.

Tony Stewart’s helmet throw – In 2012, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth crashed … not the first one they shared. Stewart glared and threw his helmet at Kenseth's car.

Juan Marichal bats John Roseboro – In 1965 a 14-minute brawl between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants broke out after Giant pitcher Juan Marichal clubbed Dodger catcher John Roseboro over the head with his bat.  After a pitch, a ball low and away, catcher John Roseboro returned the ball to pitcher Sandy Koufax, but he offended Marichal by throwing it close to his head. Marichal’s reaction is unprecedented -- he attacked Roseboro, hitting him in the head with his bat and setting off an epic brawl. Years later, Roseboro admitted he intentionally threw close to Marichal’s head in retaliation for Marichal “brushing back” Dodgers hitters. In an apology issued the next day, Marichal claimed he used his bat because he was worried Roseboro would hit him with his catcher's mask. Justified to be angry, perhaps, but justifiable battery and violence?

These are just a few, as talented, stress-filled adult-children known as athletes melt down from time to time. Is it ever justifiable or should these public figures keep their calm and be good role models?

What do YOU think? Tell me what you think at: mike@kvsun.com.

See you next time.