Antonio Brown and the Greek tragedy that is his helmet continue to envelop the Raiders.
After the NFL reportedly put Brown's preferred helmet, the Schutt Air Advantage, on its prohibited list of helmets, the star receiver did not show up to practice Sunday as he continues to search for a solution.
Brown reportedly was back with the team Monday as the Raiders had a meeting to break training camp, but it's unclear if he'll suit up for practice with an acceptable helmet Tuesday in Alameda.
With each day the saga gets more ridiculous, and I'm sure some people are wondering what the big deal is? Why does AB need this helmet? Why won't the NFL continue to let him wear the helmet he has worn for his entire career?
Well, from the NFL's perspective it's a pure safety issue. While Brown might feel like the league has it out for him, and that his desired helmet is fine from a "helping lessen head trauma" perspective, it's just not.
In his "Football Morning in America" column, NBC's Peter King did a mini dive on the differences between Brown's helmet, which was last made in 2011, and one of the NFL's approved head protectors, and the results are staggering.
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When it comes to weight, the VicisZero1 weighs 4.53 pounds while Brown's Schutt Air Advantage weighs 3.70 pounds. So yes, the safer helmet with better technology weighs a little more. Browns wants to be as light as possible. That all makes sense.
Now onto the important stuff.
In terms of force absorption, the Schutt Air Advantage allows 73 g's of force to impact the brain, King notes. On the other hand, the VicisZero1 allows only 53 g's to impact the head. That means Brown's preferred helmet allows 37.7 percent more force of impact on the brain than a model approved by the NFL. Let that sink in. Brown wants to wear the helmet that allows his brain to feel 37.7 percent more force of impact.
Absolutely insane.
[RELATED: Agent Rosenhaus defends AB's helmet drama]
Yes, he's worn the same helmet forever. He reportedly takes his helmet home with him, and brought the same helmet he had in Pittsburgh to Oakland with him. But this goes beyond preference.
How Brown's helmet tragedy gets solved is anyone's guess. The smart money is on him finding a helmet that isn't made with styrofoam, collecting his millions and being really good for the Raiders.
The NFL has more than its fair share of warts, but its decision to ban a helmet that is akin to wearing the same one Ralph Warren wore in Princeton's 1891 loss to Yale seems fair to me.
