IT’S COMPLICATED

No One Knows If Antonio Brown Actually Owns the Albany Empire

The former star NFL wide receiver has repeatedly claimed full ownership of the team, even back when he just owned a minority stake.

Antonio Brown’s Albany Empire football saga just got murkier. The former star NFL wide receiver, who has repeatedly claimed full ownership of the National Arena League team, landed himself in hot water last week for failing to pay his players. But now, Brown’s camp is walking back claims that he owns the team at all. Documents from Brown’s representatives obtained by the Times Union show that the team is actually controlled by Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise, which Brown is affiliated with. The Times Union obtained a strange letter sent on behalf of the trust in which Brown called himself “a foreign national” and said “I am not the owner of this team.” Considering Brown was born in Miami to two U.S. citizens, it’s unclear why he’s referring to himself as a “foreign national,” nor why he keeps referring to himself elsewhere as a full owner. Brown didn’t answer any of those questions at the Empire’s news conference Wednesday afternoon—he was asked who Antonio El-Allah was. “That’s a good question,” he replied.