Antonio Brown made another distinctive footwear choice on Sunday – but he again discovered that the NFL doesn’t take kindly to rule breaches.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver wore a special pair of cleats that featured Muhammad Ali for the game against the Jets on Sunday, but he was forced to change them after two drives after NFL officials threatened to toss him from the game.
Brown was apparently told that he wouldn’t be allowed back on the field unless he complied. So he switched to black shoes with white trim.
“I thought it was OK, but I made the adjustment,” Brown said.
Sunday vibes !
— Antonio Brown (@AntonioBrown) October 7, 2016
Float like a butterfly, sting like 🆎 !! #boomin 🐝 pic.twitter.com/9uUtCJpId1
Last week, Brown wore shoes sporting an image of Arnold Palmer, the golfing great who died last week aged 87. Palmer grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh.
The NFL doesn’t appreciate players flouting the rules on uniform and footwear, and insists players’ shoes must match team colors. In the first game of the season, Brown wore blue shoes and was given a fine of $9,000 because the blue clashed with the Steelers’ base colors of black and yellow.
This season, Brown has faced nearly $50,000 in fines for excessive touchdown celebrations and uniform violations. “There are rules and guidelines you’ve got to follow. I’ve just got to follow the rules,” Brown said.
Brown caught nine passes totaling 78 yards and one touchdown in the Steelers’ 31-13 win over the Jets.
