Arians and Brady de Bucs also to blame for being Antonio Brown’s facilitator

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Don’t let Bruce Arians and Tom Brady stall when it comes to Antonio Brown. Image: Getty Images

It’s easy to want to blame Antonio Brown.

After all, the star receiver acted in the middle of Sunday’s Buccaneers-Jets game in Jersey.

After refusing to return to the game, Brown took off his helmet, shoulder pads and uniform and essentially quit on the spot.

It’s an open and closed case, isn’t it?

Think again.

Most of the blame goes to Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians.

He was the facilitator. He was an accomplice. He set up this mess.

Arians is as much to blame as Brown. He never held Brown responsible. He was looking the other way as if the things Brown had done in his past wouldn’t happen to him.

When things exploded in his face, as had happened in Brown’s three previous NFL America stops, the Arians acted surprised, as if he had been caught off guard.

Please.

There was never any question of whether Brown would blow up the spot, just as it did.

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady should also be to blame. He didn’t care about Brown, the person, either. All that mattered to Brady was Brown, the talented wide receiver.

Brady was so determined to win another Super Bowl – proving that success in New England was about him and not coach Bill Belichick – that he sold his soul and his principles to get Brown, a man accused of sexual assault by a woman and sexual misconduct by another, in his team.

How else can you explain Brady taking Brown home despite the erratic behavior that left a trail of alleged victims in Brown’s path?

If Brady really cared about Brown’s behavior, he would have gotten him professional help, not a professional contract to play football.

It is clear that Brown needs some help in his personal life to improve his well-being.

You don’t have to be a doctor to find out. It’s just an eye test, like spotting a great athlete on the court.

But more than anything, Brown needs to be held accountable for his actions. Yes, hard love.

That’s what the Arians failed to deliver when Brown needed it most.

Remember that at first Arians said Tampa Bay was not interested in Brown after the New England Patriots cut ties with him.

Then Brady wanted it and boom, it was a Buc. Somehow, Brown survived injury and the season and helped Tampa Bay win the Super Bowl.

While no other team in the league wanted him, the Bucs re-signed him.

Then came the moment of truth. The Arians said something very profound when the Bucs took the risk when they first signed Brown. “He fucked up once, he left.”

Arians turned out to be a liar.

Brown screwed up, in epic proportions.

He lied about his immunization status, got a fake immunization card – a federal crime, if prosecuted.

Worse yet, Brown put the health of Arians, a three-time cancer survivor and 83-year-old offensive consultant Tom Moore, at risk.

It was Arians’ signal to keep his word, to hold Brown responsible for such a selfish act.

Instead, Arians was selfish, giving Brown a pass because his football team needed a good wide receiver after injuries depleted their reserves. And without a doubt, Brown is still that.

A scrub or lesser talent would have been shown to the door as soon as possible.

Not Brown, because his biggest facilitator was the head coach, the shooter.

Sadly, the Arians’ first words at the post-game press conference were that Brown was no longer a Buc.

Isn’t that special?

Only to add this to the media on Monday: “I have no regrets. I just hope the best for him. It was very hard. I wish him good luck. If he needs help, I hope he gets it. It’s very difficult. Because I care about him.

Please.

The Arians never cared about Brown, just what Brown could do for him, improve his resume with a Super Bowl.

If he really cared, he would have gotten Brown’s help before throwing him another shirt and sending him back to the football field.

No one should be shocked by what has happened here. It happened with the Steelers. The Raiders. The Patriots. The appeal of using this man’s talent to help win football games is too great.

It is more difficult to care for someone’s well-being.

Shame on the Arians. He is to blame too.

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