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The 2014 NFL season kicked off in some style with then-Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown breaking the internet. Brown’s Week 1 outing against the Cleveland Browns saw him land an accidental kick on punter Spencer Lanning. But the league viewed the incident differently and ended up fining Brown for his actions on the play.

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According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the hurdle attempt from Brown had cost him $8,200 for the resulting actions. He was trying to run in the open field following his return for a punt. During the attempt hurdle, Lanning continued his run, and Brown ended up clashing with the Browns punter.

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According to Tom Reed of Cleveland.com and his reports, Lanning and Brown never spoke after the game. While Brown claims he spoke with Lanning after the incident, the Browns punter didn’t have any reservations.

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He stated, “I wasn’t angry or anything like that. It was just sort of shocking. I was just going to laugh. Exactly what he said was pretty much what was going to happen. I was going to laugh about it and let it be. As a punter, (Brown) just should have given me a move I thought, but whatever.

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Antonio Brown and his Spartan kick gave the NFL fans a lot of meme fodder

Brown’s actions also led to the start of a release of many fans creating innovative memes about the incident. The kick mirrors two famous scenes from Hollywood movies ‘300’ and ‘The Karate Kid.’ The fans were up to the challenge and created funny spoofs involving Brown and Lanning.

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Read More: Old Tweet Reveals Jets QB Zach Wilson Had That “Dawg” in Him Way Before It Came to Spotlight

Despite the ridiculousness of the whole situation involving Brown and Lanning, the Steelers walked away winners with a 30-27 win. While the Steelers captured the 2014 AFC North Title, they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round.

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The season also saw AB capture his 3rd Pro Bowl selection in 5 years with the franchise.

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While Brown endured a turbulent time playing in the league, he captured his 1st Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 7-time Pro Bowler will be a notable absentee during the 2022 NFL season after being cut by the Buccaneers last season.

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Written by

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Anuj Tazhatuveetil

806 Articles

An NFL author at EssentiallySports, Anuj Tazhatuveetil is pursuing a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Initially, he worked as a freelance content writer and later as a part of Sports404. An unquenchable thirst to learn about all things NFL and NBA, adding to a rather healthy obsession with playing outdoor sports like basketball, and soccer with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of this industry make him a sports aficionado. He still fondly remembers his first experience of a basketball game, which would pave the way for his incredible love and dedication towards his writing craft. Above all, his interest in NFL stems from the inspiring story of Tom Brady whose legendary status is well known. More recently, Anuj has found himself enjoying the greatness of various other players like Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Luka Doncic, and Kevin Durant.

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Deepika Bhaduri

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