STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES

The recent trade by the Steelers of All Pro receiver Antonio Brown to the Raiders reminded me of the infamous Forrest Gump who was always reminding people that “stupid is as stupid does”. Judging from the media reaction to this trade, all I can think is that Ol’ Forrest knew exactly what he was talking about. Bobble heads are writing about how the Raiders won and the Steelers lost in this trade and it was a stroke of genius by Chucky Gruden to heist the talented but troubled WR from the Steelers. Oh really? Stupid is as stupid does.

Chucky gave up a 24 year old proven receiver in Amari Cooper for a 1st round pick from the Cowboys. At the time, this bozo loved the deal for the Cowboys because a guy who was 24, proven pro bowl player with great work ethic and no off field issues is a commodity in this league of diva receivers. Antonio Brown on the other hand is 31, has been a pain in the arse since his days at Central Michigan and is never happy with his contract or the number of targets he receives. He literally went out of his way to disrupt a Steelers team trying desperately to make the playoffs and AB was basically sent home rather than allowed to play in the last game of the year in 2018. Knowing this, the Raiders not only traded a 3rd and 5th round pick but lavished a huge new contract on AB that includes $30 million in guaranteed money. Can you say salary cap hell in Oakland if this blows up in one season like I anticipate it will? The Steelers were pushing AB out the door and team after team, from the lowly Jets and Bills, to playoff teams like the Titans all said “thanks but no thanks”. One would think that when the dregs of the league say no thank you that should be a warning sign. The risk of trading two mid round picks was fine, but extending this nut job with a $30 million guaranteed is like asking a crack head to guard your wheel barrel filled with cocaine.

Raider QB Derrick Carr is already suffering from fractured confidence after his leg was broken two years ago, but Chucky thinks AB would be a better person to help him regain his confidence instead of Amari Cooper. I cannot wait until the third game of the season when AB has 3 catches for 36 yards and starts blowing up the sideline and the internet with tweets calling Carr a loser. Let’s be realistic, if he has no respect for a future hall of famer like Ben Roethlisberger, do you really think he will make sure beach boy Derek Carr’s feelings aren’t hurt? There is also one other little fact that the media and supposed experts don’t pick up on, but fortunately Busacca Bozo is here to “ed-um-ma-cate” you. How many former irreplaceable Steeler receivers have left but had no impact on the new team? Here is list of a few in recent memory and you should have some ‘Box O’ Chocolate’ moments as you recall how screwed the Steelers were supposedly going to be without this receiver:

Heinz Ward: When he retired we were told this would greatly hurt the team because of his toughness and leadership. They won another super bowl after he left.

Plaxico Burress: This 6’5” go to guy was a headache and supposedly Big Ben’s go to guy and irreplaceable because he could go up and get the poorly thrown balls. After a decent season with the Giants, he spent time in the slammer for shooting himself with a gun and then did nothing after that.

Santonio Holmes: This speedster diva caught the game winning TD in the super bowl from Big Ben and then forced his way out of Pittsburgh and everyone questioned who was going to stretch the field. He never made a pro bowl ever again and was out of the league shortly thereafter. Yawn.

Mike Wallace: This malcontent was furious after 3 seasons that he could not a get a huge deal with the Steelers so he took his talents to South beach and has now played for 4 teams in 5 years. It’s amazing that the Steelers could live without his talent and without giving him 60 million dollars for subpar seasons since he left.

Martavis Bryant: The big and fast pot smoking receiver was so valuable to the Steelers that they traded him for a pack of smokes last year to the Raiders where he put up numbers of 19 receptions and no touchdowns, while his replacement Ju Ju Shister Smith put up All Pro numbers for the Steelers.

In case you haven’t noticed a pattern here, the Steelers seem to always find another receiver who can do it just as well if not better. More importantly, almost every player that left Big Ben has become average at best, a journeyman at worst. At some point we may have to give Big Ben his credit for making all these receivers around him into temporary stars who cash in big. So before you coronate Chucky Gruden of the Raiders a genius again, remember that he has now traded two 3rd round picks and a 5th to acquire Steeler receivers that come with baggage and no proof of production without Big Ben throwing to them.

-BSB