Antonio Brown, a former Raiders receiver, was cut from the Patriots after only 11 days on their contract, due to alleged sexual assault accusations. Patriots announced the release of Brown on Friday September 20th after Britney Taylor, Brown’s former trainer, filed a Civil suit accusing Brown of rape on September 10th. Brown aims to file nine grievances against both former teams and the NFL with payment amounting to $61 million if all falls in Brown’s favour. Brown’s grievances against Oakland would be for his $1 million signing bonus, payment for game in week 1, and fines placed against the Raiders. He also aims to gain his $9 million signing bonus, $1 million salary, payment for week 3 of play from the Patriots, and $20 million for his New England option. Brown has also been very present on social media, bashing former team programs and reminding the internet about Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s February scandal about soliciting a prostitute.

This case correlates will our course due to the heavy presence of toxic masculinity Antonio Brown appears to show. In an article written by Ben Clayton and Barbra Humberstone, they highlight key examples of how toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and bars are a big part of this epidemic and examine the ways in which men reaffirm and separate themselves from women and gay men. They indicate that the three most discussed topics within a college men’s changing room is academics, drug/ alcohol, and women, all provoking a culture which allows this toxic kind of behaviour.

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Featured Image: Antonio Brown in single game played for Patriots against Miami Dolphins (Source: Steven Senne, Associated Press)