There may be no more time-honored football tradition than Antonio Brown arriving at training camp via some outlandish vehicle. Over the last few years, Brown had showed up to Pittsburgh Steelers camp in a black-and-yellow Rolls Royce, a 1930 open-top Rolls Royce with a chauffeur in tow and a helicopter.
Behold, A.B.'s latest grand entrance.
Brown announced his arrival to his first training camp with the Oakland Raiders by taking a hot air balloon ride above Napa Valley, per a video released by Oakland.
"I thought it would be exciting to switch it up. Napa Valley is obviously known for the hot air balloons," Brown said in the clip. "This camp is so important for this team because it's a lot at stake. We kind of have to develop our identity. I think it all starts there with the commitment from guys there and everyone there understanding the reason we there and why they're putting their hand in the pile to make the raiders great again. It starts today."
It's unclear whether A.B. actually dropped into Oakland's camp at the Napa Valley Training Complex via hot air balloon, a maneuver that seems, I don't know, all levels of dangerous and in violation of California balloon code. But it's fun regardless.
After months of blowing hot air on his way out of Pittsburgh, Brown has finally found a way to put it to good use out west.
In (probably) unrelated news, Oakland placed Brown on the non-football injury list on Friday, though the receiver's stay should not be very long. The Raiders have their first training camp practice on Saturday.