A-B-C-T-E-F-G

“I’m about 80% done with people telling me that you can only recognize CTE after someone is deceased. You can’t tell me that Antonio Brown doesn’t have it… I get it. We can’t cut his head open, take his brain out and look at it, but there has to be a way coming soon that we can spot this in your brain while you’re alive. And if we can’t, I’m going to go off, it’s safe to assume that Antonio Brown and the behavior he’s exhibiting, that screams CTE to me." — Joe Budden

Nothing like a little CTE debate to get a football conversation started before the biggest game of the year. If you grew up playing football, chances are, you know someone who’s been hit so hard, they got a concussion. Growing up, coaches like to refer to it as “getting your bell rung.” I’ve gotten my bell rung once or twice. But you don’t have to get a concussion, to know what a concussed person looks like.

While reviewing the Aaron Hernandez Netflix documentary, Joe Budden (retired rapper/current podcaster) suggests that CTE has to be the reason for Antonio Brown’s recent behavior. A fair point honestly. Antonio Brown’s antics on social media have been well documented and everyone has a take on what’s really going on in his brain.

In a matter of weeks, the conversation switched from “When will AB sign with another team?” To “Will AB ever play in the NFL again?” And now, with the Super Bowl around the corner, the majority of Antonio Brown talk is questioning his mental health. 

I don’t know shit about CTE and I don’t pretend to know shit about CTE. I didn’t even watch the box office hit starring Will Smith, creatively called, “Concussion.” What I do know is football and football people, because I’m one of them. Football people are passionate and protective. We’re passionate about our team and the players on our team that brings us joy. We’re protective of the game and anything we feel is a threat to its existence. 

As a football guy, I’ve always felt like CTE (and the results of examining the brains of deceased NFL players) were a threat to the game. I’ve been resistant to accept a narrative that, in theory, could eliminate the game completely. I’ve also refused to entertain rule changes that “make the game safer.” Football isn’t a safe game and honestly, I don’t think it should be. I’d prefer NFL players to be safe while playing, but not if that means sacrificing the athleticism and violence that the game was built on.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve seen Antonio Brown on the receiving end of some vicious hits in his career. He’s always been an easy target for headhunting defenders coming across the middle. But I think his recent antics are rooted in entitlement and celebrity not "early CTE."

It's interesting to consider diagnosing the disease while players are alive. But until that technology is available, I think we should stay away from trying to identify which NFL players may suffer from it.