Tim Brown...only the 2nd dumbest thing an ND alum has said this week

[Suburban Rhythm]

Didn't see this up yet, or in the NFL offseason thread.

Tim Brown suggests head coach Bill Callahan ‘sabotaged’ Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports

"We all called it sabotage...because Callahan and Gruden were good friends," Brown said. "And Callahan had a big problem with the Raiders, you know, hated the Raiders. You know, only came because Gruden made him come. Literally walked off the field on us a couple of times during the season when he first got there, the first couple years. So really he had become someone who was part of the staff but we just didn’t pay him any attention. Gruden leaves, he becomes the head coach....It’s hard to say that the guy sabotaged the Super Bowl. You know, can you really say that? That can be my opinion, but I can’t say for a fact that that’s what his plan was, to sabotage the Super Bowl. He hated the Raiders so much that he would sabotage the Super Bowl so his friend can win the Super Bowl. That’s hard to say, because you can’t prove it.
"But the facts are what they are, that less than 36 hours before the game we changed our game plan. And we go into that game absolutely knowing that we have no shot. That the only shot we had if Tampa Bay didn’t show up."

[JonInMiddleGA]

Worth noting perhaps that Jerry Rice (among others) agrees with Brown.

Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, the Raiders' other starting receiver in the Super Bowl and now an ESPN analyst, backed Brown on his claims in comments to ESPN's "NFL Live" on Tuesday. He said the players found it "very unusual" to change everything at the last minute.

Rice said the Raiders' game plan did change on the Friday before the Super Bowl and the team was surprised by that, "because you worked all week long on running the football." On Friday, Callahan put in a new plan that had the team throwing the ball more than 60 times. Why would you wait to the last second to change the game plan?" Rice said.

He echoed Brown's theory that Callahan might have been willing to let Gruden win the game.

"And in a way, maybe because he (Callahan) didn't like the Raiders, he was willing to sabotage just a little bit and let Jon Gruden go out and win this one," Rice said.

Tim Brown -- Bill Callahan 'sabotaged' Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII loss - ESPN

[spleen1015]

If you don't like the Raiders, why agree to be the head coach?

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

iirc, the buzz on that game was that the raiders were still running gruden's offense so not ony did the bucs know the gameplan they knew all the audibles etc

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by NorvTurnerOverdrive

iirc, the buzz on that game was that the raiders were still running gruden's offense so not ony did the bucs know the gameplan they knew all the audibles etc

I heard this a few years ago (prior to Tim Brown's accusation) and thought this was inexcusable. In fact, it's in a book called Bloody Sunday printed back around 2005 and a number of Oakland and Tampa players have commented about this in the past. For instance, Rich Gannon has said that he would start calling the audibles and that the Tampa Bay defense would actually finish the play call for him!!! Assuming that this is true (and there's no reason to doubt it given the number of sources quoted about this), that lends creedence that there wasn't something on the up-and-up about that game and it points directly to Callahan.

Also remember that Charles Woodson said during the 2003 season that Callahan wasn't running the team correctly. In short, there's a lot of smoke there. My guess is that Callahan didn't try to purposely sabotage the Super Bowl, but that he was lazy and arrogant. Not changing the audible system is just a mind-boggling mistake.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Jerry Rice needs to stop opening his mouth. Every time I hear him talk my opinion of him lessens.

I can't believe the level of idiocy required for this statement by Tim Brown. If this really happened (which is absurd to even contemplate), why in the hell did it take you ten years to bring it up?

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

If you don't like the Raiders, why agree to be the head coach?

My first thought as well.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Jerry Rice needs to stop opening his mouth. Every time I hear him talk my opinion of him lessens.

I can't believe the level of idiocy required for this statement by Tim Brown. If this really happened (which is absurd to even contemplate), why in the hell did it take you ten years to bring it up?

Jerry Rice should have to give up a ring every time he says something dumb, just like Montana needs to give up a ring for every dumb product he endorses.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I can't believe the level of idiocy required for this statement by Tim Brown. If this really happened (which is absurd to even contemplate), why in the hell did it take you ten years to bring it up?

I was reading Callahan's wikipedia (kind of just to remember who he was), and there was this:

"Despite the success of his 2002 team, the 2003 Raiders had a losing record. After his team got off to a 2–5 start, many of his players, in particular Charles Woodson, publicly demonized the coach, even suggesting that Callahan was deliberately trying to sabotage the season. Apparently, his accusations of strife and mutiny within the clubhouse were corroborated by others, including veteran receiver Tim Brown. Callahan, his supporters claim, had recognized that the team was aging and needed younger talent. To get it, he would have to cut existing salaries, an assertion that did not sit well with many of the team's veterans. On Nov. 30, after a 22–8 loss to the Denver Broncos, Callahan said the Raiders must have been "the dumbest team in America in terms of playing the game." After a lackluster 4–12 season, due to the injury to quarterback Rich Gannon and despite having led the Raiders to a Super Bowl a year earlier, Callahan was fired by Raiders owner Al Davis. Callahan was also the last Raider coach to have posted a winning season."

So this, was a thing that that believed by the Raiders Veteran's at the time, I don't think it's new. I don't think he threw the super bowl or anything, but clearly there was some huge dissension there all these years.

[panerd]

I thought a former Raider player came on Mike and Mike yesterday and said that the crazy Robbins guy went AWOL and they had to change the gameplan. It is sort of a he said/she said between that and Tim Brown's version but why is this coming to light now?

[stevew]

Tim Brown is trying to get into the Hall of Fame(other than by buying a ticket)

[panerd]

Originally Posted by stevew

Tim Brown is trying to get into the Hall of Fame(other than by buying a ticket)

And he thinks throwing a former coach under the bus and stirring up a shit storm is helping his case?

[Chief Rum]

I do wonder what the circumstances were that led Brown to say this in a media interview. It does seem to be odd timing.

I personally think there was nothing deliberate here, just a bunch of stupid decisions by a not all that great head coach who lucked into a situation where he was the lucky SOB who got to take over a terrific offense led by a veteran QB who knew the offense as good as anyone.

I call it the Barry Switzer Effect.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by panerd

I thought a former Raider player came on Mike and Mike yesterday and said that the crazy Robbins guy went AWOL and they had to change the gameplan. It is sort of a he said/she said between that and Tim Brown's version but why is this coming to light now?

Lincoln Kennedy mentioned something to this effect, pointing out that Robbins had off field issues then and they have continued. He and Billy Romo have both basically dismissed Brown's comments.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by panerd

I thought a former Raider player came on Mike and Mike yesterday and said that the crazy Robbins guy went AWOL and they had to change the gameplan. It is sort of a he said/she said between that and Tim Brown's version but why is this coming to light now?

Didn't Robbins go AWOL the night before the Super Bowl, though? ALl the reports I have heard said Callahan changed his gameplan on the Friday before the game. Unless that's in dispute.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Lincoln Kennedy mentioned something to this effect, pointing out that Robbins had off field issues then and they have continued. He and Billy Romo have both basically dismissed Brown's comments.

Yeah, I think Robbins is in jail now or a psych ward somewhere. I think he was sent up for armed robbery, wasn't he? Or was it just driving around with a mini-arsenal and looking to kill someone?

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Didn't Robbins go AWOL the night before the Super Bowl, though? ALl the reports I have heard said Callahan changed his gameplan on the Friday before the game. Unless that's in dispute.

Yeah, the main thrust of this story is that the changes came before Robbins went AWOL.

[HomerSimpson98]

This ought to be good when the Nebraska fans log in and comment

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by panerd

I thought a former Raider player came on Mike and Mike yesterday and said that the crazy Robbins guy went AWOL and they had to change the gameplan. It is sort of a he said/she said between that and Tim Brown's version but why is this coming to light now?

Zach Crockett and Lincoln Kennedy are the other guys speaking recently

Tim Brown repeats sabotage claim; Bill Callahan responds strongly - NFL - Sporting News

Former fullback Zack Crockett confirmed that the game plan changed, but said it was his understanding that Callahan did so in response to Robbins disappearing.

A sampling of where each player came down on the issue:

Rice, to ESPN: “In a way, maybe because he didn’t like the Raiders, he decided, ‘Maybe we should sabotage this a little bit and let Jon Gruden go out and win this one.’ ... Yeah, I know exactly what I'm saying.”
Garner, to Philadelphia radio station WPEN: “There may have been something to what Mr. Brown has been saying."

Crockett, to ESPN: "The game plan had to be changed (because of Robbins' disappearance). ... I wouldn't say that Callahan would sabotage a game. I think that's impossible."

Gannon, on his Sirius XM NFL Radio show: "In terms of Bill Callahan, let me just say this: He was a good football coach, he was a good man. We all wanted to win."

Romanowski, also to WPEN: "(Brown) absolutely couldn't be further from the truth. ... He doesn't know what he's talking about. And I'll tell you what, I'm blown away that something like that would come out of an intelligent man's mouth."

Kennedy, to USA Today: "When you use a word as strong as (sabotage), people think you purposely tried to go out there and lose the game, and I know that not to be true. If you didn't like an organization, why would you take them all the way to the Super Bowl?"

And that's the first time I'm seeing the Romanowski quote.

If Bill Romanowski is calling you crazy, maybe it's time you step back and reassess your position.

[DougW]

Originally Posted by panerd

I thought a former Raider player came on Mike and Mike yesterday and said that the crazy Robbins guy went AWOL and they had to change the gameplan. It is sort of a he said/she said between that and Tim Brown's version but why is this coming to light now?

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Didn't Robbins go AWOL the night before the Super Bowl, though? ALl the reports I have heard said Callahan changed his gameplan on the Friday before the game. Unless that's in dispute.

Yeah, Rice even said he believes Callahan's game-plan shift "without a doubt" led to center Barret Robbins leaving the Raiders the day before the Super Bowl.

[JediKooter]

Maybe the change in game plan is why Robbins went AWOL? Either way, get over it Tim, your team just flat out got beat and it couldn't have happened to a better team.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

If this really happened (which is absurd to even contemplate), why in the hell did it take you ten years to bring it up?

It didn't.

This isn't the first time Brown has made these accusations against Callahan. The receiver also made these claims four years ago on the morning of the Super Bowl.

"I've been talking about this for 10 years," Brown said in his interview with ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Yeah, the main thrust of this story is that the changes came before Robbins went AWOL.

Yes, that is how I remember it. Robbins went AWOL after Callahan made his changes.

Which just means that Callahan is a dumbass.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Yes, that is how I remember it. Robbins went AWOL after Callahan made his changes.

Which just means that Callahan is a dumbass.

Or can see into the future!

[Lathum]

If a coach wants to tank a game I would think there would be more subtle ways than this.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by DougW

Yeah, Rice even said he believes Callahan's game-plan shift "without a doubt" led to center Barret Robbins leaving the Raiders the day before the Super Bowl.

Rice is beginning to show a penchant lately for absurd comments. Robbins was a mess then and now.

Edit: I would also think Lincoln Kennedy, who refutes Rices remarks, would have a little bit of a closer relationship or at least an understanding of someone else in his position group.