Brown rips Big Ben, Tomlin via Twitter

Antonio Brown’s laundry list of issues with the Pittsburgh Steelers appears to include a problem with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership style and how coach Mike Tomlin treated the Pro Bowl wide receiver during the regular-season finale against Cincinnati.

Brown, who has requested a trade, took to Twitter yesterday to vent in what amounted to his first expanded public comments since a falling out with the organization that has left his future with the club very much in doubt.

Asked by a Twitter user about the root of his conflict with Roethlisberger, Brown responded “No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth.”

Brown also called out Tomlin for the way he handled Brown during the course of the final week of the regular season when the team sent Brown home two days before the game and ordered him to get some rest and have his knee examined . . . .

Denver police say NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas crashed his vehicle near downtown early yesterday.

Police spokesman Jay Casillas said the cause of the crash was being investigated. He said it doesn’t appear that drugs or alcohol played a role . . . .

Cincinnati Bengals running back Mark Walton is facing a battery charge after police say he got into an argument with a couple in Miami.