On Friday night, it was reported that Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will take part in the NBA Celebrity All-Star game in mid-February. For most Lions fans, it’s a neat opportunity to see a popular player continue to see his star rise to the level of national sensation. St. Brown’s stock has been rising for years now, and to see him reach celebrity status is undoubtedly pretty cool, given all the work and effort he’s put in to become a stud in the NFL.
But I’ve also seen some backlash. Looking at the comment section in our story of the news, the majority of Lions fans appear to be more concerned with the injury risk of the game than with excitement to see him compete in something fun and unique. There is also a very vocal minority that seems to be a little bothered by St. Brown’s celebrity status. Whether it be his podcast, TV commercials, or other high-profile events, some believe that the Lions receiver is spending more time on things away from football, which must mean he’s spending less time devoted to his full-time job as an NFL receiver.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Are you okay with Amon-Ra St. Brown playing in the NBA Celebrity All-Star game?
My answer: Yes, of course I am.
First, I want to address the idea that St. Brown is not devoting enough time to his craft. Every time St. Brown dropped a pass or missed a block, I’d see a ton of responses from Lions fans telling him to quit his podcast or stop doing commercials. Personally, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to connect the two things. Drops happen, and as much as it felt like a huge anomaly this year, St. Brown only finished with two more drops than he had in his best statistical season in 2023. I believe St. Brown’s drop issues were mostly overblown because some of those drops just happened to occur in big moments.
Additionally, I can assure you from being around the Lions facility every day that there remains no one in the building who can decisively say they work harder than St. Brown. He is literally the poster child for hard work in that building, and players, coaches, and other media members can bear witness to that not falling off an ounce since he’s become a household name. When people talk about St. Brown, they use the word “consistency” or talk about how he refuses to be complacent. Any suggestion that St. Brown has become too distracted with celebrity endeavors and it’s hurting his work ethic is misguided in every way.
As for the injury risk of the event, that argument has at least some rationality, but even then, I think you’re projecting your own anxieties onto the situation. While it’s certainly not impossible for St. Brown to suffer an injury, given the pace and looseness of the game, it seems pretty unlikely. It’s certainly more unlikely than the normal risk posed by offseason training.
So, yeah, let St. Brown live a little bit. Let him be a human being. He doesn’t have to be about football 100% of the time, just like I’m sure you’re not about work all the time.
What do you all think? Any problem with St. Brown playing in the NBA Celebrity All-Star game, or are people making something out of nothing here?
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