Coaches, players for Antonio Brown's arena football team plan to sue him
Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown could be in even more hot water following the ejection of the Albany Empire’s membership in the Arena Football League. The Empire’s coaches and players are now threatening a lawsuit against Brown and his trust after their final paycheck ended up leaving their bank accounts after they had already posted.
The AFL kicked Brown’s team out as Commissioner Chris Siegfried reported that Albany owed $21,000 in league assessment fees.
Empire head coach Moe Leggett opened up about what finally broke the camel’s back with the former Steelers star.
“I’m frustrated,” Leggett told the Times-Union. “I’m frustrated. I tried to give (Brown) the benefit of the doubt. I tried to work with him… was trying to be the peacemaker, the mediator to make sure things ran smoothly and just under the radar. But I can no longer do that.”
Leggett told WTEN that team members were paid after their final game, however, things became fishy when a member posted a screenshot of the bank account reversal. When Leggett also checked his account, his paycheck had vanished.
The deduction of the checks means that players and staff are still waiting on $500 or more in owed wages. When he tried to reach Brown or his accountant Alex Gunaris, or team president Alberony Denis, Leggett got the runaround.
Now, Leggett is looking for a lawyer to file a lawsuit, alongside other members of the team.
Albany Empire personnel heading toward lawsuit
Empire wide receiver Fabian Guerra told the Times-Union he would join a lawsuit against Brown.
“I’m thinking since he didn’t pay us, it’s only the right thing to do,” Guerra said. “It’s kind of like bad business by him, but I’m over here in Massachusetts and playing with a new team, so I’m not worried. It sucks it has to come down to that and now there’s going to be a lawsuit, so he just looks bad.”
“I feel like this was his plan all along,” Guerra added. “I feel like he does stuff for social media and to sell his songs… think it’s just what he does. That’s the type of guy he is. No one trusts him anymore. I see it hard for him to get any future deals going because of how he is as a person.”
Empire lineman Brandon Thorpe is currently crashing with a friend while he waits for his final check.
“My feelings are everywhere because I feel like he’s basically doing us so wrong to the point of no return,” Thorpe said in a text.
Given Brown and his team’s silence on the ongoing issues, a lawsuit seems inevitable.