Antonio Brown's Arena League Team Kicked Out Of League, Is Anyone Surprised?
Just when you think Antonio Brown can't out-Antonio Brown himself, the arena football team he owns gets kicked out of the league.
On Thursday, the National Arena League announced that it was giving Brown's Albany Empire the ol' heave-ho.
After exhausting all avenues, the NAL board of owners have decided unanimously to terminate the membership agreement of the Albany Empire," the NAL said in a statement. "The decision was reached after an emergency conference call of the members in good standing to discuss the Empire’s failure to pay their league mandated and overdue assessments."
According to the league, each team is responsible for paying 1/7 of the league's operating budget. Brown's team did not do this.
The league also assessed him a $1,000 fine for "conduct detrimental to the league" in recent public statements.
"Mr. Brown refused to pay that fine," the league said.
Yeah, that sounds like something he would do.
Antonio Brown continues to do Antonio Brown things. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Fan Controlled Football/Getty Images)
Antonio Brown Gave Bizarre Press Conference The Night Before The League Kicked Out His Team
The decision to boot the Albany Empire came at noon on Thursday. On Wednesday, the former NFL wideout held a press conference on the field while shirtless — because at this point, why not? — in which he rambled in the third-person about paying players. He also claimed that "AB" is a character created by the media and he is Antonio Brown. Not AB.
"I'm trying to see if AB gonna pay me for playing," he said, after hinting that he might suit up for the team on Saturday. "I'm Antonio Brown and I want to know if AB gonna pay me the money."
He then took a mic from a reporter and essentially cut a WWE promo in which he railed against himself-- I mean, "AB."
Perfectly normal behavior.
The team's termination from the league means that their home game against the Jacksonville Sharks has been canceled.
It didn't last too long, but the Albany Empire's Antonio Brown era was something else.
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