Formula 1: NFL player pulls a Rich Energy, fakes comeback

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown pulled what Formula 1 fans consider a Rich Energy, saying he is returning without actually coming back.

After the Baltimore Ravens announced a long-awaited new contract for former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, ex-wide receiver Antonio Brown tweeted that he is excited to return to the NFL in 2023.

Brown tweeted #RavensFlock and posted a photoshopped picture of himself wearing a No. 84 Ravens jersey.

Considering the fact that absolutely nothing has been said about the so-called return of the troubled former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro by the Ravens or by any sort of agent, it looks like nothing more than another ploy for attention.

It’s what Formula 1 fans would call a “Rich Energy”.

The post is much like those we’ve seen from Rich Energy CEO William Storey over the last few years, ever since the brand cut ties with the Haas Formula 1 team in 2019.

Brown’s most recent NFL appearance came when he took his jersey off and trotted off the field at MetLife Stadium in the middle of the Buccaneers’ game against the New York Jets in January 2022.

Randomly quitting during the season was a Rich Energy-esque act in itself, given how the brand’s ties with Haas came to an abrupt end during the middle of the 2019 campaign, when Storey claimed to have “sacked” the team over poor performance. Haas, of course, presented a different angle of the story, one which involved tens of millions in unpaid sponsorship fees.

A return was promised by Storey 2021, and what that didn’t happen, it was promised again for 2022. Yet no teams ever put anything out implying that they were even working with the ill-fated sponsor on a deal.

And of course, nothing ever materialized for what Storey called “the greatest comeback since Lazarus”.

Fans have long treated his tweets as a source of levity.

The 44-year-old British businessman, who is also said to be the CEO of Wolf Data Systems and the managing director of Wolf Jerky (#FeedTheWolf), has done less work hyping up the so-called return in recent months, but that could change at any time.

Maybe the drink company can sign Brown to an endorsement deal. They’re practically made for each other.

During their brief time on the Formula 1 grid, Rich Energy billed themselves as “better than Red Bull”. But they could never compete with the Milton Keynes-based team on the grid, even during a time when Red Bull were no better than the third fastest team on the grid. Storey remains an ardent hater of the team, particularly two-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen.