Free Coach Brown.

I feel that coaches need to be able to express themselves. This is how you keep those who make the decisions are Omnipotent.

They suspend this guy, but they didn't do anything to Steve Spurrier when he got on TV and complained about officials, not once, but twice.

I bet Will Brown wishes he had as big a name as Spurrier.

Since when did the AEC's rules over ride those of the Constituition? Last time I checked what he did was covered by that whole freedom of speech thing we've got going on.

As a UAlbany Alum I not only support Coach Brown but agree whole heartedly with his opinions. Go Danes!

It looks like the conference had a mechanism in place for coaches to address schedule changes if they wanted them changed. Not publicly criticizing officials is standard practice in every conference I know of.

The "freedom of speech thing..." yell fire in a crowded theater or shopping mall then tell the judge about your freedom of speech. Better yet, read about the constitution and learn what the intent of "freedom of speech" actually is.

There is a term my friends and I use for people who punish people for speaking their mind and/or disagreeing with them...communism

I am not a fan of the Kremli...i mean America East dictators

Seems a bit extreme.

What's the problem with voicing frustration with a schedule? We've all seen coaches who voice frustration with their program, a tough schedule, officiating. For the AEC to take this to such a level is insane. Especially at a college level. Have we forgotten that part of a college education is to challenge the way we think? So why are our coaches forbidden from saying that someone needs to rethink a play schedule?


And by the way Commrade Nero...we won the Cold War years ago. Etkin's piece in Albany's Times Union is right on.

Free Willy!

It seems like an infringement on freedom of speech to me. Since he spoke the truth, he should be free to have a blog.

Compared to what we see other NCAA coaches across the country get away with, this seems to be a pretty unnecessary punishment.

I think Premier Nero is struggling to find some sense of legitimacy in a conference that really only has two teams (UAlbany and Vermont) that have made any noise nationally in the past number of years.

Free Coach Brown!!

I think the blog is a great idea, it gets you inside the workings of the team, and i think can increase school spirit!

The schedule is absolutely absurd, and the AEC knows it!

A Suspension?
Over that? That is not even a damaging comment.

America East needs to lossen up!

First off, the conference seems to be overreacting, IMHO. They look worse for their reaction than Brown's comments could possibly have made them look.

Secondly, all you guys seriously need to take a government class from a competent teacher. Freedom of speech (and no, you can't look in the Constitution to find its intent) is about freedom from having the *government* control your speech. Your boss can control your speech all they want (try calling your boss a @$%*&$!@ and see how that works).

Freedom of speech is also not limited to people speaking the truth -- if it were, politicians would never be allowed to open their mouths.

Finally, a government that suppresses speech is not necessarily communist. Pinochet in Cuba, the apartheid regime in S. Africa, Hitler, Saddam -- not a commie among them.

And yes, I know this is a sports blog, not a gov't one, but a pedant's got to do what a pedant's got to do.

How ridiculous! First, that is a crazy schedule and the conference should be acknowledging his concerns, not attempting to silence him. Second, who cares if he expressed his displeasure with the scheduling?!? Criticism shouldn't automatically be silenced. He didn't attack any individual or anyone inappropriately. Furthermore, I'm sure he was just expressing what everyone in the fan base, at the school and around the conference already thought and was also expressing.

This is the most ridiculous one game suspension and I can't believe a bigger fight wasn't put up by the AD of the school.

If I got online and posted criticism about the company I work for, or the regulatory agencies that govern my industry, I would probably be fired. (cf: the numerous cases of bloggers fired for posting negative messages about their employers). This is NOT a freedom of speech issue. Learn your Constitution, boys.

And how disappointing that the Albany coach, rather than being upset about the strain that this scheduling might put on his players academically, instead focuses on the strain it puts on their ability to play good basketball. Nice...

The reaction to his comments seems like how a little child would act that doesn't get his way. "Mommy, he doesn't agree with me!"..."Agree with your brother, or go stand in the corner. You aren't allowed to have your own thoughts. You must think what other people want you to think." Repeat after me, "Schedule good...thinking bad...shcedule good...thinking bad..."

If he needs to agree with them on his schedule, why don't they just take it a step farther and tell him what plays to run, how to practice, and who to play on his team? Since when is it such a heinous crime to complain? This seems like a joke. Who are these idiots?

He isn't a first year coach, he knows the AmerEast processes for scheduling, as well as the ethical standards expected of him. This was a rookie mistake and Albany paid the price with a loss to Binghamton on Saturday 83-72.

lets go great danes!!!! this year we're gonna win a game in the tournament!

I feel that the conference overreacted. Although Brown is a coach, and is in a position where he needs to set a good example, he merely expressed his opinion. Why should the conference even care that he feels that way. So what? It's not like he affected the players, games, or the conference as a whole.

what a joke! Free speach is what this country is all about!

He shouldn't be in trouble, but quit with the "freedom of speech" stuff. He isn't being in any legal trouble. An employer is allowed to put reasonable restrictions on what the employees say. If you don't believe me run around your office saying your boss is an idiot.

A coach running a blog is still a great idea, and it's a shame that this is the reason it won't be continued. I think that if more coaches did this (creating blogs) we would see less firing of coaches in all sports. Most people never identify with a coach, his concerns or what the team really goes through. All they ever see is the press conference (if it's a big school) and quotes in the paper. Unfortunately there's the chance of a coach saying something he shouldn't (And with the combined ineptness of the NCAA and the conferences themselves, there's always bound to be someone upset.)

Apparently they listened to the complaint and decided that Coach Brown waws wrong and that the team should play 4 games in a week. This was his response, good for him-whatever happened to the STUDENT-athlete? How do they explain it then?

Brad Harris

The conference heard a complaint in September and decided against rescheduling. How do you explain this to the STUDENT-athlete? Four games in a week, and attend classes. Good for Coach Brown for speaking his mind and getting this in the open, this is ridiculous.

I can understand wanting time to rest, study, and prepare for each game. But I see the bigger flaw in this scheduling - when are these student athletes supposed to study and attend classes?

Forget the Freedom of Speech angle, these conference officals are just plain wrong and have compounded their bad scheduling by actng like playground bullies. SHAME on them.

Coach has the right of free speech. What's more, he's right. Of course, he could have said it differently. Good rule is before you put anything in writing, let it sit overnight first, the re-read it.

Coach Brown has the right of free speech and appears to be right. He could have stated his case more respectfully. A good rule before you put anything in writing is to let it sit overnight and re-read at least once before sending.

Of course

I think the AEC officials overreacted a bit.Don't they have more important things to do than play blog police?Coach Brown was just using his blog a a means to vent frustration.I think people should be allowed to vent..especially in their own blogs.Whats next?Suspending fans that complain about officials an coaching personnel? Arenas would be almost empty...except for the officials.

I think Brown had it right on the money. The AE officials have their heads where the sun don't shine.