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First Call: Troy Polamalu jabs Patriots; Antonio Brown says he doesn't have CTE; Trump's Twitter mishap | TribLIVE.com
Steelers/NFL

First Call: Troy Polamalu jabs Patriots; Antonio Brown says he doesn't have CTE; Trump's Twitter mishap

Tim Benz
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AP
Hall of Fame class of 2020 Troy Polamalu speaks at the NFL Honors football award show Saturday, Feb. 1, in Miami.

In Monday’s “First Call,” Antonio Brown speaks. President Donald Trump tweets. And Troy Polamalu burns the New England Patriots over cheating allegations.


Hall of Fame comeback

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night.

He also had a Hall of Fame comeback to former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss on Sirius XM.

During an interview with Weiss’ “Radio Row,” Weiss jabbed Polamalu, saying that the Patriots knew they could get yards against the Steelers with play action because Polamalu constantly wanted to stick his nose into the line of scrimmage.

Troy’s response was a “Spygate” dart: “That’s because you guys had our playbook, by the way. A big asterisk next to those play fakes.”

A little shot about how Weiss went 0-5 as Notre Dame head coach against Polamalu’s USC Trojans could’ve been the cherry on the sundae.


Another A.B. apology

Antonio Brown is apologizing.

Again.

This time “to the whole NFL” for his volatile off-field behavior, and his insubordination when he was employed by the Steelers and Raiders.

He made that statement to Josina Anderson during an interview on ESPN over the weekend.

Also in the interview, Brown insisted he doesn’t have CTE, called himself a target for media allegations, and massaged his need for a mental health evaluation, claiming he’s no different than anyone else.

“We all need mental help,” Brown said. “From our friends, from the people we hang around, from the people we consult with every day. Yeah, we need mental help.

“I’m like an animal in a cage. Everyone just talks about me. I can’t go out (of) my house in ‘the private.’ Everything I do is in the face of people, face of someone talking, someone making an assumption about me.”

At least, I think that’s what this statement means.


Where is the parade, exactly?

After the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers, President Donald Trump sent out this tweet.

“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game, and a fantastic comeback, under immense pressure,” Trump wrote in the tweet, which has now been deleted. “You represented the Great State of Kansas and, in fact, the entire USA, so very well. Our Country is PROUD OF YOU!”

Well, that’s likely, at least, partially true. I’m sure there are many Chiefs fans in Kansas. However, the Chiefs play in Kansas City … Missouri.

Trump tweeted a correction.

Let’s hope that when he invites the Chiefs to the White House, he makes sure to accurately point out the building is located in Washington, D.C.

Not the state of Washington.

These things can get confusing, you know. It’d be awkward if the Chiefs took a parade route to CenturyLink Field where the Seahawks play.


Almost Manny

Former Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was almost the hero of the Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers.

Down 24-20, Sanders broke open deep. But Jimmy Garoppolo overthrew him.

The internet had a laugh at that one.

Sanders only had 38 yards receiving on three catches. Former Pitt star LeSean “Shady” McCoy was inactive. But Central Catholic and Penn State product Stefen Wisniewski started along the Chiefs’ offensive line, earning a ring. He also won one with Philadephia at Super Bowl LII.


So much for that announcement

Many people wondered what Tom Brady was doing with that cryptic tweet late last week.

Was that a retirement teaser we witnessed? Was it a message that he would be leaving the Patriots?

No. It was a Super Bowl commercial for Hulu.

Now, when Brady says, “I’m not going anywhere,” does that mean he’s staying in New England? Or simply not retiring?

Maybe he can debut another spot during the Oscars to straighten that out.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz
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