Weasel of The Week: Antonio Brown

 This is just too easy.

It has taken less than two months for former NFL star receiver turned deranged diva Antonio Brown to return home to Albany, where he spent his formative years, and worm his way into obtaining ownership of the National Arena League champion Albany Empire, and, as of today, has cleared a path where he could conceivably take over as coach or as a player-coach, heading into the team's home game May 6 vs. the West Texas Warbirds.

Brown, along with his father, local legend "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, returned to Albany two months ago, and purchased stakes in the Empire. Last month, right before the season opener, head coach Tom Menas, who led the Empire to back-to-back NAL titles, was let go, and offensive coordinator Damon Ware promoted to interim coach. This morning, Ware was bounced after two straight losses. Ware got into a dispute, according to sources, on the bus ride home from Greensboro after Sunday's loss to the Carolina Cobras, over a lack of pay. Upon arriving in Albany, Ware and six players, including QB Sam Castronova, receiver Darius Prince, and defensive whiz Dwayne Hollis, were denied their hotel keys. Depending on what you read, the players were either suspended or outright released.

Brown took to social media late Sunday, advertising that he needed a new starting QB, which begs to ask if former UAlbany QB Vincent Testaverde, Jr., son of the former NFL QB, is still on the team.

The Empire is 1-2, and the team chemistry has been destroyed in one fell swoop. Brown said all the right things to the press when he came here, but the diva in him took over during the NFL Draft on Thursday, when he claimed he was going to return to the NFL and play for Baltimore, which let his cousin, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, go as a free agent after the 2020 season to Arizona. Most folks dismissed this as a attention-seeking publicity stunt.

Brown has burned his bridges in four NFL cities---Pittsburgh, Oakland, Foxborough, & Tampa Bay, and in the latter case, he literally ran out of Met Life Stadium during a Buccaneers game vs. the Jests, which Tampa ultimately won. It wasn't long after Brown bought his way onto the Empire that it got out that he was being sued by a Florida jeweler for $2 million, and is dodging child support payments to a recent girlfriend. 

Ah, there's the rub. Brown came home to avoid a warrant for his arrest in Florida, where supposedly it can't be enforced in New York. Knowing what kind of egocentric personality they're dealing with now, local media has tried to put on a collective happy face, and stay positive to avoid angering the mercurial Brown. And you thought that other deranged lunatic, Ye, was cuckoo. I had predicted over at Tri-City SportsBeat that Brown would make more changes at the first sign of a losing streak. I don't think anyone is going to be too surprised by week's end to learn that Brown will take it upon himself to coach the Empire, beginning Saturday, or even go so far as to suit up and take the field, to satisfy his ego.

If the Empire don't make the playoffs, denied an opportunity at a 3-peat, they know who to blame. You've heard of the Trojan Horse of ancient legend? Meet the Albany Weasel, Antonio Brown, who gets this week's Weasel of The Week award. I wonder if former majority owner Mike Kwarta, is feeling seller's remorse right about now........