What had been built to uphold the legacy of arena football in the 518 was destroyed in three months by a former NFL player whose baggage only increased over those three months.
The Albany Empire is no more, thanks to Antonio Brown.
Brown, who, along with his father, arena legend "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, bought shares in the team in March, became majority owner just a few short weeks later, and it was becoming increasingly clear that this was all about Brown getting back in the headlines, and not what was best for the team. Brown had no clue about running a franchise, and was making personnel decisions on an almost weekly basis, usually on impulse because his meddling had destroyed the defending National Arena League champions from within.
Brown began claiming he'd suit up for the team, and actually practiced on Wednesday, but his disrespectful remarks toward Orlando's John Cheney prior to last Friday's game were, in the eyes of the league, the final straw. Albany had dropped six straight after beating Orlando on opening night (week 2 of the league season). Fans had been lured in for the last home game, thinking Brown would play, but he didn't.
Earlier today, the NAL announced that the Empire, a once proud franchise respected around the league, had been terminated because they weren't making monthly payments under league guidelines, and Brown was refusing to pay a fine for his remarks to Cheney. Couple that with remarks made by Brown to the Albany Times-Union about his admiration for embattled former president Donald Trump, and, well, the handwriting was on the wall, even if most folks didn't see it right away.
Brown's behavior was certainly cause for concern, considering his history of concussions while in the NFL, possibly coupled with either bi-polar disorder, or, disassociative identity disorder, which we used to refer to as schizophrenia. Like Trump, and another bi-polar patient, Kanye West, Brown came across as a narcissist, making himself the center of attention when most owners wouldn't do that. It became more about him than the team, and father Eddie didn't do much publicly to try to stop his son's destructive behavior.
Bear in mind, too, that Brown came to Albany to escape legal issues. Once it was brought up that he owed child support to a girlfriend, he paid that bill. On the other hand, there is still pending litigation regarding a jeweler who filed suit against Brown shortly after the season began.
The league took its position, but instead of terminating the Empire, they should've taken it away from the mercurial, impulsive Brown, and put it in league stewardship for the rest of the season. Now, because of Brown, it'll be a long, long time before anyone thinks of putting another arena football franchise in Albany. When they do, Antonio Brown will be far, far away. He has to be, for his own good, and for the good of the sport.
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