Marquis Flowers’ Twitter feed might be the only thing that smells worse than Antonio Brown’s doctor appointments.
In case you missed it, Brown on Monday was the subject of a scathing Sports Illustrated article in which the Patriots receiver is painted as a pretty horrible person. From a new sexual misconduct allegation to allegations of violent behavior and refusal to pay numerous debts, Robert Klemko’s piece offers yet another ugly look at Brown, who already was dealing with allegations of sexual assault and rape.
However, if there is one humorous anecdote to be found in SI’s story, it can be found in Paragraph 23, which contains testimony from a doctor who claims Brown “passed gas” numerous times during an appointment. “It seemed just childish to me,” Dr. Prisk told Klemko. “I’m a doctor and this man is farting in my face.”
It’s an admittedly uncomfortable laugh that Klemko’s quote elicits, but it’s a laugh nevertheless. The same can be said for the video evidence of Brown’s ill-timed flatulence.
So, where does Flowers, a former Patriot himself, factor into all this weirdness?
Well, soon after the video — which first hit the internet in 2018 — predictably went viral, Flowers offered his two cents on the criticism of Brown.
Check out this take:
In a vacuum, Flowers’ take is just fine. Brown obviously isn’t a horrible person because he “farted.” He certainly is a weird person for doing so during a doctor’s examination, but such childish behavior alone doesn’t warrant vitriolic public condemnation.
Of course, the reality is that Brown isn’t being dragged over coals for farting in front of a doctor. The 31-year-old is being excoriated for all the context and nuance that Flowers seems so willing to overlook.
Let’s recap, for those who have been living under a rock for the past few weeks:
(There is no definitive chronology to the following events.)
— Brown quit on the Pittsburgh Steelers before forcing a trade to the Oakland Raiders, who gave him a pay raise.
— Refused to participate during Raiders training camp and threatened to retire because the NFL wouldn’t let him use his usual helmet, which no longer satisfies the league’s safety requirements.
— Ripped the Raiders on social media for fining him.
— Allegedly threatened to punch Raiders general manager Mike Mayock in the face and called him a “cracker.”
— Taped a private phone call with Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, shared it on YouTube and then demanded his release.
— Celebrated the release in public fashion.
*** This is where things get much worse***
— Named in a civil lawsuit for allegedly sexually assaulting and raping his former trainer, Britney Taylor.
— Accused of exposing himself without consent to an artist working on a mural in Brown’s home.
— Allegedly refused to pay said artist.
— Allegedly refused to pay countless individuals who provided various services to Brown over the course of his career.
— Allegedly threw furniture off a balcony, potentially endangering children below.
— Was visited by police due to complaints of domestic violence, though no charges ever have been filed.
We could list even more, but we’re not sure it’s even necessary.
It bears repeating that Brown hasn’t been convicted of any crime. The optics certainly are terrible, and defending him at this point is both strange and incredibly difficult. But the star receiver still should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
As for Flowers, might we suggest heeding one of the 21st Century’s more salient bits of advice: Think before you tweet.
