The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball match against Michigan on Feb 16 has stirred a series of events. With the Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark breaking scoring records with her exceptional performance, the match was a delightful watch.
But trouble erupted when former NFL wide receiver, Antonio Brown made it to the headlines with some pretty controversial remarks regarding her appearance.
Known for his controversial statements, Brown disrespectfully portrayed the player and even called her a ‘b*tch’. However, a day after, he clarified himself on social media by justifying his comment as a light-hearted banter remark.
Brown’s attempt at clarification
Clark passed the former record-holder Kelsey Plum who held 3,537 career points over 139 games at Washington between 2013 and 2017.
In an attempt to appreciate the talent, Brown’s comment referring to Clark, “B*tch look like Mel Gibson”, drew swift controversy.
As a response to the backlash, the NFL star attempted to take a stand for himself and ease the tense situation through a Twitter post. In his statement, he claimed, “It was a joke entertainment 🙀🤣 #CTESPN 🫡 @CtespnN” with a reference to his CTE.
While Brown may have intended his comment as a light-hearted jest, the response from the fans deemed it to be inappropriate and offensive.
Even though he attempted to ease out the situation with his follow-up post, being a sports icon himself, it throws light on the importance of sensitivity while addressing the achievements of athletes. Besides Clark, Brown has found himself in another controversy involving his ex-teammate J.J Watt.
Brown continues to stir controversy
Brown recently took to social media to make a bold claim about Houston Texans legend Watt calling him “Steroid Crazy”.
The controversy stems from their time together in 2007 at Central Michigan when they were on the same offense. During that time, Watt played as a tight end before transitioning to Wisconsin and evolving as a defensive powerhouse in the NFL.
On Friday, Feb 16, Brown posted on Twitter claiming that Watt’s physique was not at all natural and was under the influence of strong medicine like steroids.
Earlier in November, it was Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey who faced criticism by Brown. Brown alleged that Giddey had inappropriate relations with a high school student and demeaned him on social media.
For public figures like Brown, public statements can continue to captivate attention in unexpected ways.