Antonio Brown Might Have Found a Helmet with the Help of Twitter
Antonio Brown Might Have Found a Helmet with the Help of Twitter
Despite finding a new home away from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Antonio Brown has still found himself in the middle of more drama this pre-season. The latest saga for the 31-year-old wide receiver involves Brown’s intent to continue using his Schutt Air Advantage helmet, a helmet that is no longer approved by the NFL for use this season.
The situation originally made headlines on August 9th, when Adam Schefter reported that Antonio Brown is ready to hang up his cleats for good if he is not able to wear his old helmet this season.
The decision regarding approved helmets for NFL play is made using recommendations from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). NOCSAE is a non-profit organization founded in 1970, which wishes to enhance athletic safety through research and testing of athletic equipment. The NFL, NCAA and US Lacrosse are a few of the organizations that adhere to NOCSAE standards.
There isn’t anything necessarily wrong or unsafe about Brown’s helmet other than its age. Brown has been using his helmet since 2007, and NOCSAE does not approve any equipment that is ten years or older.
There has been much speculation as to why Brown is so intent on using the specific helmet that he does. Theories about the wide receiver’s preference range from new helmets affecting his vision, to the issue being merely a matter of comfort and familiarity.
While Brown has kept quiet about the exact reasons he prefers his old helmet, he has been vocal in his disapproval of the league’s decision. Last week he filed a grievance with the NFL over their decision to prohibit the use of the helmet. In the grievance, Brown threatened to hold the NFL liable were he to get injured using a new helmet that is approved by the league for this season.
On Monday an arbitrator for the league ruled against Brown’s grievance. However, Brown is not walking away from football just yet. That same day, Brown took to Instagram to make a statement on the league’s decision and his future with the Raider’s organization.
“While I disagree with the arbitrator’s decision, I’m working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field” the wide receiver said in a post on Monday.
The ruling against Brown’s grievance appeared to be a clear ending to this bizarre helmet chronicle. However, as has often become the case with Antonio Brown, the story continues. This is because the NFL will allow Brown to continue wearing a Schutt Air Advantage helmet as long as he can find one made within the last ten years.
This, however, would be no easy task as the Air Advantage helmet was discontinued in 2011. This means that there are only two model years worth of Schutt Air Advantage helmets in existence which can still be used in an NFL game or practice.
On Tuesday, the story took another unexpected turn when Brown turned to Twitter in hopes of finding one of those few, cherished helmets. That’s right, one of the premier wide receivers in the world might be suiting up for NFL games this season in a helmet he found through Twitter. In the Tweet, Brown specified that he was looking for a Schutt Air Advantage, adult, large helmet manufactured within the past ten years. He even offered a signed, practice-worn Raiders helmet in exchange.
This would not be an authentic Antonio Brown story if things didn’t somehow find a way of working out, would it? On Wednesday, Jeff Darlington reported that Antonio Brown has found several iterations of the Schutt Air Advantage helmet and that he now must get these helmets reconditioned and approved.
We will have to wait and see if the search pays off and Brown gets his Twitter helmets approved. In the meantime, Brown returned to Raiders practice again on Tuesday after missing much of last week with an unrelated but equally bizarre foot injury stemming from a cryotherapy incident. Brown ended up with frostbite on his feet after wearing improper footwear during cryotherapy.
It is unsure whether Brown will suit up during this pre-season, but Raiders coach, Jon Gruden, expects the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to be ready to go for the team’s week one matchup against the Broncos.
-By: Jonny Hart