



Even coming on the heels of a Cleveland Browns “Hard Knocks” that might have been the best reality TV ever created in the NFL, the next few weeks should be the franchise’s true opus. But the maelstrom known as Antonio Brown, a whirling dervish of diva, is more likely to decimate the credibility of this entertainment franchise in the next few weeks than drive it to new heights.

“Hard Knocks” wanted drama. Brown delivered. And now we get to see who truly has the power in this marriage between HBO and the NFL.

Of the litany of revelations from the latest 24-hour cycle of Antonio Brown chaos, that is certainly one of them. There is no question whether the material is there for some Hall of Fame episodes in the coming days. But if the network can’t land something meaningful in the midst of this craziness – from the landing strip of jaw-dropping details already laid out by several reports – then it means we aren’t watching reality TV. Instead, it’s the kind of state-run television that has made the show an often forgettable spectacle in the past.

Antonio Brown has proven to be a handful for the Raiders. (AP) More

‘Hard Knocks’ drops ball on AB’s frostbitten feet

If you’re putting money down on where this one is headed, bet the under(whelming). There have already been some signs that HBO is going to get anything meaningful slashed to the bone in the coming weeks.

Take Episode 1, which as it turns out, seems even more disappointing in the rear-view mirror than it did a day ago. It largely landed with a thud after dancing around the problem with – to coin HBO’s term – Brown’s “bad” feet. Instead, the ultimate inside access of “Hard Knocks” basically delivered a hot air balloon ride, some rookies riding horses, a little bit of Derek Carr and the subtly interesting moment of head coach Jon Gruden establishing a no-fly zone when it comes to rookie hazing. And even that line by Gruden about hazing was largely glossed over in the episode, given that it could have provided an interesting entry point into the darker parts of offensive lineman Richie Incognito’s history.

Basically, HBO delivered a bunch of empty calories and then almost nothing on the parts of the Brown situation that actually made it dramatic. Specifically, the reality that he had frozen the bottoms of his feet in cryotherapy chamber. If anything, Brown’s children asked the toughest questions and might have provided the most interesting micro-second of filming, when in the midst of one of the children asking him about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Brown grinned and flashed a quick look at the camera – presumably to see if “Hard Knocks” was watching.

It was mildly amusing. But it ended up being unfulfilling when the reality sunk in that “Hard Knocks” had nothing to reveal about the frostbite on Brown’s feet. It almost certainly means that the Raiders intervened in the production to keep that piece of information out. And we still might not know the nature of Brown’s foot problems right now, had it not been for Gruden’s former Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick – Chris Simms – revealing on ProFootballTalk what had happened in the deep freeze of a cryotherapy session. As an aside, it’s interesting that it was a guy with Gruden ties who came up with this piece of information.

Did Hue Jackson, Browns teach Jon Gruden a lesson?

What’s more disappointing now is that there was even more going on than anyone knew. And it was ultimately pushed into the spotlight thanks to Brown consistently missing practice and then having a grievance hearing with the NFL over his helmet. That triggered a string of revelations that the franchise has been dealing with this helmet lunacy for some time. A fact that wasn’t even a whisper in the first “Hard Knocks” episode.

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