Brown vs Callahan

[wxwax]

No thread, so I thought I'd start one just to vent a wee bit.

As you know Tim Brown has accused his former head coach Bill Callahan of deliberately trying to lose Super Bowl 37 to Bill's ol' pal Chucky. Then dimwit Jerry Rice climbed aboard the stupid train and said the same thing.

The core of their argument is that the game plan changed late (either Friday or Saturday, there seems to be disagreement among former Raiders) and the change from a running attack to a passing attack doomed them. Mind you, this is two wide receivers saying this.

On the face of it, changing a game plan a day or two days before a Super Bowl is dumb. But as Mangini pointed out, this Super Bowl was played with a normal 1-week gap from the championships. Mangini says on a one-week schedule, as during the regular season, it's perfectly normal to change your game plan as you go. Also, center Barrett Robbins lost his mind Saturday, and some former Raiders say that's why the game plan was changed.

Today Tim Brown talked to his lawyer. Today Tim Brown's lawyer noted that Bill Callahan used the word "defamatory' in his denial.

Today Tim Brown suddenly denies using the word "sabotage."

Today Tim Brown looks like an idiot.

[DaBearsFan]

It seems to me that, based on Callahan's record after that Super Bowl both at Oakland and at the University of Nebraska, the old adage of "Don't attribute to malice what can easily be attributed to incompetence" applies. I'd also add that the TB team they played in SB 37 was really good. One of the 2 or 3 best defenses I've seen in my 15+ years of watching football. In particular, they seemed to really dominate when they were going against pass-heavy teams and situations, like the Raiders were that season. I don't think a better coach for the Raiders swings that game in their favor

[wxwax]

It seems to me that, based on Callahan's record after that Super Bowl both at Oakland and at the University of Nebraska, the old adage of "Don't attribute to malice what can easily be attributed to incompetence" applies. I'd also add that the TB team they played in SB 37 was really good. One of the 2 or 3 best defenses I've seen in my 15+ years of watching football. In particular, they seemed to really dominate when they were going against pass-heavy teams and situations, like the Raiders were that season. I don't think a better coach for the Raiders swings that game in their favor

Yes sir, I agree with all of this.

[Rich Gapinski]

I plan to touch on this in my Super Bowl preview podcast, but Brown also said last week how unhappy he was with Marc Trestman in Oakland. Why? He got demoted to #2 receiver when Rice showed up. In other words, he got mad about being #2 and getting less looks than THE Greatest Wide Receiver of All-Time. Diva much?

[Andy Freeland]

Today Tim Brown looks like an idiot.

I disagree, but only with the use of the word 'today'. He looked like an idiot as soon as he said it. A coach is going to throw a super bowl to make his buddy look good? That's just stupid.

[FrzzerBwler]

What is it about Notre Dame football players having a hard time w/ reality?
Not sure which is weirder Te'o's fake GF or Brown's absurd accusations, followed by claims of "that's not what I said"

[xmenehune]

maybe it's a sign of CTE?

bad game plan from the start as I recall, Chucky inherited a great D, even if OAK ran, they would've had trouble w/their center Robbins in the game, must be a slow day in radio land... lol

[wxwax]

I disagree, but only with the use of the word 'today'. He looked like an idiot as soon as he said it. A coach is going to throw a super bowl to make his buddy look good? That's just stupid.

No kidding.

[mikesteelnation1]

Perhaps Tim Brown didn't think it was possible Al Davis decided to override his first year coaches gameplan at the last minute... Al loved the downfield passing game. Perhaps he saw practices all week, didn't like what he saw and mandated Callahan to switch things up at the last minute. Not the most prudent thing to do at the last minute, but al always did what he wanted.

[edave]

The Raiders have been making claims based on paranoid fantasy for at least 40 years, since what they call the immaculate deception. Maybe longer, but I don't recall any stories from before 72. The whole organization was a little bit off and Al definitely encouraged it.

Barret Robbins went off on a TJ bender the day before the game and 10 years later it's Callahan's fault. When you hear stuff like this you laugh a little and hope whatever is effecting them is not easily transmitted.

NFL Films has a great clip of George Atkinson disavowing some of the crazier things that are usually part of the Raider conspiracy quilt.