Was Oakland Raiders Mike Mayock Right To Blast Antonio Brown, Las Vegas Stadium Update
ONN – Was Oakland Raiders Mike Mayock Right To Blast Antonio Brown, Las Vegas Stadium Update
On Sunday, Oakland Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock came out to appear briefly before a small group of media types and to issue this statement about his mercurial star wide receiver Antonio Brown:
“You all know that AB is not here today, right? So here’s the bottom line; he’s upset about the helmet issue. We have supported that. We appreciate that, okay? But at this point we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief. So from our perspective, it’s time for him to be all-in, or all-out, okay? We’re hoping he’s back soon. We’ve got 89 guys busting their tails. We are really excited about where this franchise is going, and we hope AB is going to be a big part of it starting Week 1 against Denver. End of story. No questions.”
When I first saw the statement it was in the form of the Raiders YouTube video that popped up in my YouTube App Feed. This was my reaction:
I, like a number of Oakland Raiders Fans, can’t believe Mayock took the action he displayed. A number of people wondered exactly what Antonio Brown was reacting to. It turned out to be a Pro Football Talk report from a source who gave news that Brown didn’t want to here.
For those of you trying to catch up, the problem is that now former Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, who signed a three-year, $50 million contract, with $30 million of that guaranteed and a $1 million signing bonus. The Raiders made Brown the NFL’s highest paid pass catcher.
On top of that, Brown was to be the center of a newly reformed Oakland Raiders Offense, one that emphasized speed ball-control passing and power running.
So far, so good, right?
Well, then it seemed like a script written for Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Oakland Raiders, unfolded. First, Brown’s feet were disfigured in a hyperbaric chamber and ostensibly because he wore the wrong shoes. Second, Brown was informed he could not play with the same helmet he had used for the last night years, because the NFL elected to declare it not safe.
Brown filed an appeal of the league’s rule, but the arbitrator ruled against him. Still, Brown and Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden worked to put a giant smiley face on the whole deal. The Raiders clobbering the new-look Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night in front of an ESPN National audience and a big build up for the Big Red and it’s star rookie Kyler Murray only helped the overall messaging: the Oakland Raiders were together and looked like a force for the first time in a very long time.
Then, on Friday, Pro Football Talk posted this:
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL decided to require testing of the Schutt AiR Advantage after previously informing the Raiders that, if receiver Antonio Brown could find one less than 10 years old, he could use it. The helmet failed the test.
Brown had found several Schutt AiR Advantage helmets that had been made within the last decade, including an AiR Advantage made in 2014 for film. NOCSAE certified one specific helmet, made in 2010, for use. But then the NFL told the Raiders that the helmet would have to be tested before it could be used.
Brown’s representatives recently sent the helmet for testing. Earlier today, Brown was informed that the helmet failed the test.
The Schutt AiR Advantage was not among 11 models that became prohibited this year. Brown wasn’t able to use the helmet he’s worn his entire NFL career because it’s more than 10 years old, and NOCSAE will not certify any helmet that is more than 10 years old.
To summarize: The NFL wins again.
The way Pro Football Talk explained the news did not sit will with Brown, who took to Twitter to display his displeasure:
NFL Niggas For Life ! Super Prejudice unbelievable! https://t.co/wRQvHAAV8T
— AB (@AB84) August 18, 2019
And then Mayock, either on his own or given some very bad advise, issued his testy statement.
And that appeared to be that until Brown’s agent Drew Rosenhaus found a camera in South Florida and gave this statement:
“We have worked very closely with the Raiders, and will continue to work very closely with the Raiders. I’m not sure we agree that we’ve exhausted all the options, as Mike Mayock said, but there’s no doubt it’s still an ongoing process. We are trying to work with the team and the league and the union on a solution. We haven’t figured that out yet.
“To say that AB is upset about the decision to not let him wear his helmet is accurate, but we’re still processing it and figuring it out. I wouldn’t make too much about him not being there today, as much as we’re still trying to come up with a solution that works for everyone.”
Basically, as my livestream viewers have said, Drew Rosenhaus saved Mike Mayock. Prior to the famed agent’s appearance, it looked like Mayock and the Raiders were about to put an exclamation point on Browns’ tweet calling the NFL “Niggas For Life” by essentially trying to tell him who was boss.
A real bad move on Mike’s part. But, it’s all good now, and perhaps the helmet company will step in and come up with some updated device that Brown feels good about using.
Now, about the Las Vegas Stadium, or what is now called Allegiant Stadium.
The fact that the Oakland Raiders scored a $400 million naming right deal does not solve all of their other problems.
First, $770 million is still needed to be raised in sponsorships.
Second, the Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium Parking Plan has not been announced – and that has a price tag.
Third, the Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium roof is far from done, and the truss problem was just a large part of what it takes to make that complicated construct.
Fourth, there’s a giant sized list of do-does, many completely obvious upon looking at the Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium cam.
So, those trying to rush the Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium should stop. I remind all that the project still lacks a website portal for weekly information updates. That the American Public would allow for a facility of this size, owned by the public, to be built with the level of secrecy it’s exhibited is criminal – or should be. That we’ve allowed America to get to a point where millions of people can be duped into not caring should give anyone who cares about the maintenance of American Democracy a stomach ache.
The Las Vegas Media need not twist the truth. The Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium will be the finest facility of its kind not named LA Rams New Stadium (or whatever they wind up calling it) when it’s finished. Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium is something Las Vegas desperately needs if its to weather the storm of economic change that’s taking away its once exclusive hold on the gambling industry.
Tell the truth about Las Vegas Stadium / Allegiant Stadium – it’s much more interesting than the fake news about it.
Stay tuned.
Oakland News Now Note: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest version of an experimental Zennie62Media mobile media video-blogging system network. This is a major part of our new approach to the production of news media. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and also seek interested content and media technology partners.