Antonio Brown simply cannot stay out of the news. After his dramatic exit from the NFL in 2021, Brown made his return to football earlier this year after buying a majority stake in the Albany Empire, an arena football team in New York. However, drama has followed Brown like a shadow. There is an overarching mystery about just who actually owns the team. An investigation recently released that Brown is actually more akin to a mouthpiece for an ownership trust.
Furthermore, Brown's tenure has been marred by scandal. Despite the Empire being two-time defending champions, they are 1-3 in the 2023 season. Furthermore, they lost a well-respected head coach after multiple payment deadlines were missed. That was followed by rumors that Brown will be suiting up for the team. Now more drama, and more rumors, have surfaced.
New Rumors, New Drama
Let's start with the drama. Brown recently had to eat humble pie after a local Italian restaurant claimed that the team walked out on a $700 tab. Eventually, after a days-long local media blitz, Brown visited the restaurant to pay the tab and offer an apology. However, that is not the end of the recent problems for the team. Brown has long claimed that he owns "95%" of the Empire. The other 5% is currently owned by a local couple, Charlotte and Steve von Schiller. The von Schillers purchased their stake last year but now want to be bought out due to the infamy that Brown's ownership tenure. Furthermore, the von Schillers have indicated they are willing to pursue legal options if needs be.
However, Brown now has his eye back on the NFL. According to his agent, JR Rickert, Brown has been receiving "genuine" interest from NFL teams ahead of the 2023 season. "He is exploring the right fit," his agent told CBS. "I think that he is a multi-talented individual who does everything at a high level," Rickert continued, "and whatever he commits to, he goes all in." Do you think an NFL team should re-sign Brown? Let us know in the comments.
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