:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18219765/20120815_ajw_ai8_112.0.jpg)
For a football player, one of the worst things that could happen in their career is being released from your team, jeopardizing your livelihood. If you're a football player that was featured on Hard Knocks, which highlighted their talents as an artist. Not so much.
When Tuesday's episode of Hard Knocks premiered, it opened with Aaron Maybin entering his studio and beginning a project that resulted in two paintings; one of an angel and the other a partial face of a Bengals tiger. The episode's conclusion showed the team releasing Maybin, with a parting conversation between he and head coach Marvin Lewis.
It was sad.
But really, don't worry. Maybin will be fine.
According to TMZ, Maybe had "one of, if not the biggest nights" of his paintings being sold.
AM says he was bummed out that his release from the team was televised -- telling us, "I turned my phone off last night, I just didn’t want to talk to anyone." But when he turned it back on, Aaron says he was bombarded with messages from people asking how to get their hands on his artwork.
TMZ adds that some of Maybin's paintings sold for up to $20,000.