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The situation originally made headlines on August 9th, when Adam Schefter reported that Antonio Brown is ready to hang up his cleats for good if he is not able to wear his old helmet this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

Top 3 offensive NCAA Football O-Lines going into 2019

1. Georgia

Georgia had another solid year last season. Going 7-1 in conference 11-3 overall last year, the Bulldogs look to build off what they did last season to make a run towards the college football playoffs. The strength of their offensive line was the main reason for their success last season. Behind this big and powerful offensive line, they average 226.9 passing yards a game, avenged 239 rushing yards a game which brought their average to about 466.1 yards offensive yards a game. They are averaging 320 pounds upfront. From many preseason reports and stats, their starting left tackle Andrew Thomas who will be a junior this season is classified as the best offensive linemen in the country. They also have Sophomore Isaiah Wilson and Junior Ben Cleveland who are also set to have strong seasons. Look for the Bulldogs to go after the SEC East again and maybe we could see them and Alabama go for round 3, but will it be different if they do?

     2. Oregon

           The Oregon Ducks are set to have another solid season in 2019. The Ducks went 5-4 in conference last season and 9-4 overall record. They finished the season strong by winning their last two regular-season games and capping off the season with a bowl victory over Michigan State in a tight battle. Oregon's QB Justin Herbert threw the only touchdown of the game early in the fourth qtr. He was able to do so because of the great protection he had from the guys upfront. Oregon has one of the best dominant offensive lines heading into 2019. Several guys with experience and seemingly have the most depth. They also have two of the best pass-blocking offensive tackles in college football. One being a young true Sophomore Penei Sewell who is sitting at 6’6 345 pounds. Before missing half the season with a bad ankle sprain, he played the left tackle position exceptionally well. On many stats Pro Football Focus (PFF) has released they have him in the top 10 in offensive tackles. They also have a monster at right tackle Calvin Throckmorton 6’5 309. One unique thing about him is, he was the only FBS lineman to start at four games last season at (RT, C, RG, LT). Talk about being prepared and ready to go. They also have one of the top interior Lineman Dallas Warmack who set to have a strong senior season. Behind this big and athletic offensive line the offense was able to average 247 passing yards a game, 180 rushing yards a game, averaging about 428 yards a game of total offense. With all the experience they have upfront, can the offense use that to build towards a PAC-12 championship in 2019?

   3. Army

     Army is a triple-option team, which means you will hardly see the ball thrown. However, that does not mean they do not have the capability to throw it because Senior QB Kelvin Hopkins Jr. threw for 1,026 yards last season and tossed 6 TD passes in doing so. The main bread and butter to this offense is the run game. Behind Army’s offensive line last season they rushed for 4,207 yards. Behind this brick wall of a line, they averaged 312 yards rushing and about 80 yards passing a game which brought their average to about 392 yards a game. They are returning three starters up front, with the leadership of senior offensive lineman Jaxson Deaton and Junior Peyton Reeder who both will be the two guards this season. They look to build off the rushing success they had last season. Some crazy stats behind this O-line, they were 112-196 (57.14%) on 3rd downs last season but an even crazier stat they were 31-36 (86.11%) on fourth down. Which means they have complete faith behind that Offensive line, and who looks to be beaten down D-lines this coming season. Taking Oklahoma to the wire last season, could army pull off an upset against Michigan this season?

-By: Zach Branner

2019 College Football Season Preview: Georgia Bulldogs

In the weeks leading up to the season, I’ll be previewing some of the top programs in college football. Today, I will cover the University of Georgia. All stats according to sports-reference.com

2019 Coaches Poll Ranking: 3

2018 AP Final Ranking: T-7

2018 Record: 11-3

Coach: Kirby Smart

Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

Summary: The highlight of Georgia’s season came during the SEC Championship game, when they scored to go up 28-14 on Alabama with 12:39 left in the third quarter. They were already ranked fourth in the nation, and a win would have sent them to the playoff as the SEC Champions. Unfortunately for Georgia, that never happened. Alabama scored three straight touchdowns, Georgia was eliminated from the playoff, and the season ended with a 28-21 loss to Texas in the Sugar Bowl. How to evaluate Georgia is a hotly-debated topic around the nation. One on hand, they beat Kentucky and Florida, two top-12 teams. They also played Alabama close and won the SEC East. But on the other hand, they also lost to a three-loss LSU by 20 points, and the team wasn’t in the national top-10 in yards gained, points scored, yards allowed or points allowed. Georgia is talented, but are they truly a top team in the nation? Only time will tell.

Most Valuable Player: Jake Fromm, Quarterback Jake Fromm led Georgia to an SEC Championship and National Championship appearance as a freshman, when he threw for 3600 yards and 26 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. His sophomore year was less successful from a team standpoint, but Fromm was actually better individually. While Georgia failed to win the SEC, Fromm added 100 yards and four touchdowns while bringing his interceptions down to six. This performance ultimately led to five-star recruit Justin Fields transferring to Ohio State as he realized he wouldn’t be playing until Fromm left for the NFL. This year, Fromm is back and looking to close the deal in the SEC and ultimately win the national championship. For Georgia to accomplish that, he will play a crucial part as the leader of the offense. If he can get even better as a passer, watch out. 

Biggest Game: #8 @Florida This game could decide the SEC East. It is Georgia’s top regular-season game by opponent’s rating, and Florida is looking to establish itself as a bonafide SEC contender this year. Georgia finished just in front of Florida in the division last year, primarily due to the head-to-head matchup, where they dominated Florida to the tune of 36-17. This year, Georgia will be looking for a repeat performance to propel themselves to the SEC Championship. 

One Big Question: Can Georgia solve Alabama? Georgia has played Alabama three times in the last two years: twice in the SEC Championship and once in the National Championship. Alabama won two of those three: once to win the national championship (this came to avenge a previous loss to Georgia in the conference championship), and once to win the SEC and eliminate Georgia from the playoff. If Georgia can manage to beat Alabama, they become serious contenders to win it all. But as of yet Georgia can’t seem to make the Tide go away. If Kirby Smart is ever going to win a championship, he’s going to have to find a way to beat the Titans of the SEC first. 

My Prediction: 11-2, Loss in the SEC Championship. Florida, Notre Dame, Auburn, Texas A&M. Each of those teams are in the preseason top-25, and Georgia plays all four. Three of them are scheduled within four weeks of each other. That schedule sounds brutal, and until the Bulldogs can prove that a defeat of Alabama is probable I won’t be predicting one. None of this means Georgia can’t go undefeated, they are a talented team that lost a comparatively low amount of top players to the NFL. But their schedule is going to be hard to overcome, and the Bulldogs are going to be viewed as Alabama’s little brother until they can beat them consistently. 

For my previous season previews:

#1 Clemson

#2 Alabama

-By: Alex Spieldenner