Antonio

Antonio Brown is beating the Steelers at what used to be their game & frustrated fans know it

It used to be the Steelers Way or the highway for any of their disgruntled players. Antonio Brown is showing it’s possible to beat the black and gold at their own game.

That’s because winning off the field in the NFL now involves the shrewd use of social media.

Antonio Brown has it; the Steelers not so much.

Indeed, Brown seemed to spike the ball on the Steelers after using a meeting with team owner Art Rooney II to drive the narrative that it’s a mutual decision that he be traded away.

That old Steelers Way of controlling players had been a black-and-golden rule under the original Art Rooney – aka the Chief – and his savvy successor, Dan Rooney. Now, it seems like so much ancient history after Art II got taken to social media school by Antonio.

Brown, who has had his own share of blunders on Instagram and Twitter, came back strong during his meeting with the Steelers President. After initially saying he would not meet with Rooney, Brown and the seemingly timid team owner came face-to-face.

It was Brown, who insisted upon a smiling, arm-in-arm picture with Rooney. The receiver then promptly posted it on Twitter, and it won the day for him at the expense of the Steelers and Rooney.

The message: If Brown is so bad, so disruptive, why is the smiling Steelers’ owner’s arm around him?

In addition, it was Brown’s view of the meeting, reinforced in the text that accompanied the photo, that drove the narrative of what transpired.

Brown’s interpretation was the two mutually decided it was time to “move on.” That means a trade, which was what Brown’s been after all along.

Now, Brown stands to get everything he wants -- a big new, guaranteed contract with new team and a possible contender.

The Steelers are left with a glaring vacancy in their once high-flying receiving corps, a huge hole in their salary cap, and little means to patch things up, at least for 2019. This as aging Ben Roethlisberger loses another year on his rapidly closing Super Bowl window.

Oh yeah, and there’s still plenty of debate over what kind of draft pick the Steelers will be able to pluck away from any team interested in trading for Brown’s services.

Check out the Steelers Update Podcast for how all this is playing out in Pittsburgh sports media -- and among fans:

Spoiler Alert: None of it it is pretty for the Steelers, Rooney and Mike Tomlin, who clearly gave Antonio too much rope over the years. For as much as Steelers Nation now detests Brown and his tactics, they recognize strength, savvy and strategy. In other words, all those things Antonio Brown has displayed on social media to get exactly what he wants from the once-begrudging, all-but-unbeatable Steelers when it came to player personnel.

NOTE: John Luciew is an award-winning reporter for PennLive and a 25-year Steelers season ticket-holder. His podcast is presented from the obsessively over-informed perspective of an avid Steelers’ fan.

NFL execs predict Antonio Brown's future, what happens now

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown exulted when signing a contract to become the NFL's highest-paid receiver two years ago.

"Steelers for life," Brown tweeted at the time, along with a picture showing him beaming with his agents.

Times change.

Brown's Twitter timeline has become a vehicle for requesting a trade. Brown has used the social-media platform to cast Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as entitled and enabled. Following a Tuesday meeting with Steelers president Art Rooney II, Brown tweeted that both parties agreed it was time for a separation.

While Brown's career in Pittsburgh could be finished, it's not clear what the future holds. Recent conversations with executives around the league set some parameters for a situation with constantly changing dynamics.

How likely is a trade? What could the Steelers get in return? Which teams would be the most logical suitors? NFL execs cover the relevant ground here.

Most execs thought the Steelers would trade Brown.

One was more adamant than the others that they might not, but he changed his thinking Tuesday after reports from the Brown-Rooney meeting suggested all parties agreed a separation would be best. This exec also changed what he thought the Steelers could get in return (more on that below), an indication just how fluid the situation has become.

Antonio Rudiger Talks Mental Toll of Maurizio Sarri's Methods at Chelsea

Antonio RudigerJames Williamson - AMA/Getty Images

Antonio Rudiger has said that Maurizio Sarri's tactical work in training is taking its toll on the Chelsea squad.

Ahead of the Blues' UEFA Europa League clash with Malmo on Thursday, the defender said fatigue is not to blame for Chelsea's recent slump, but he hinted some in the squad are struggling with Sarri's methods, per Adam Crafton of the Daily Mail:

"Fatigue, no, because it's not like we are doing box-to-box runs [in training]. It's not physical. It's the tactical things he likes to do. That's his way, he's carrying on. It's new for the majority of the players but we have to adapt to it.

"It's the same if you sit in the school the whole time listening to someone. Of course, sometimes, it gets mental, but at the end of the day you have to do your job."

Chelsea are enduring a terrible run of form. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on Monday after losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

And recent thrashings at the hands of Manchester City and Bournemouth have seen them drop out of the top four in the Premier League:

After the defeat to United, some expected Sarri to lose his job:

The Italian has survived, though, and faces a key few days, as Sunday's Carabao Cup final against City follows Thursday's round-of-32 second leg.

Chelsea are 2-1 ahead in the tie against Malmo and should be confident of securing a spot in the last 16 at home in the second leg.

Sunday's meeting with the Citizens at Wembley Stadium will be a much greater challenge, though. Sarri's side were humiliated 6-0 by City in the league in early February at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea will need to improve drastically if they are to have any chance of winning the Carabao Cup, but they can take confidence from their 2-0 defeat of City at Stamford Bridge in December.

There is huge talent in Sarri's squad, but recent performances have been hallmarked by a lack of imagination in attack and vulnerability at the back.

That will need to change fast if Sarri is to survive the season, let alone be given the opportunity to carry on as Chelsea boss into 2019-20.