Antonio Brown didn’t like what Ryan Clark has said about the team in recent months, and Ryan Clark didn’t like that Antonio Brown didn’t like it. In an interview with Tribune reporter Alan Robinson, the Steelers wide receiver shared some of his thoughts on Clark’s recent musings in the media.
“When you see things like that, it shows you how guys feel when they’re not part of the team anymore,” Brown said regarding some of Clark’s comments. “It’s a form of bitterness or taking a shot at the team because you’re not there anymore.” Brown went on to say that comments like Clark’s show a lack of recent camaraderie that the team needs to improve on. Mainly, Brown is referring to Clark’s openness about his teammates using marijuana.
“When you see people taking shots who were on the same team and wearing the same jerseys, that’s a sign of not having that team camaraderie. That’s something we need to get back, something we haven’t had for the past two years.” Brown went on to say that Clark’s behavior likely stems from his affiliation with ESPN. “He’s getting into his career as a reporter and trying to get those things in the works,” Brown told the Trib. “I don’t think he meant any harm taking those shots to players as individuals, I just think he was trying to make pointers and make himself sound smart on ESPN.”
Well, it didn’t take long for Ryan Clark to respond to Brown’s statements. Shortly after the article was published, and the somewhat sensational headline grew legs on social media channels, Clark took to Twitter to share his opinion.
Antonio Brown can feel and say anything about me he’d like. We all have opinions. I’m not bitter and I’m not mad at him. Wish him the best!
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) April 28, 2014
My family babysat for Antonio and my wife planned his son’s birthday party. He’s not smart enough to realize what a good teammate is! #done
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) April 28, 2014
At first, Clark doesn’t seem bothered by Brown’s feelings, but in the span of a few minutes, his tone changes rather drastically. Clark isn’t new to sharing his candid feelings on Twitter. The former Steelers safety recently returned to Twitter after deleting his account last year, due to his sometimes blunt opinions not sitting well with certain fans.
After spending a couple months on the free agent market, Clark signed a one year deal with the Washington Redskins last month. Before signing with the Redskins, many people speculated that he was not going to return to playing football, but rather take on a full time analyst gig.
What do you think? Is Antonio Brown right? Are Clark’s opinions due to bitterness, or are they just said in effort to get attention on ESPN?