04/19/24
January 23, 2013
Coach Bill Callahan Threw Super Bowl?: Former Oakland Raider players, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, claim that coach Bill Callahan threw Super Bowl XXXVII against Tampa Bay because was still miffed at the Raiders for trading coach John Gruden to the Buccaneers. In response, Callahan vehemently denies their allegations and seems to be firing up the ol' defamation lawsuit engine.
It's reprehensible for Brown and Rice to make such a spectacularly damaging claim without any evidence. The premise that a head coach in the NFL would throw the Super Bowl is crazy.
Callahan had climbed the coaching ladder for 22 years to reach that game and had never been a head coach at college or the pros before that season. The chance he'd intentionally lose is about as likely as Jerry Rice deciding to drop a few touchdown passes in the game because Jon Gruden brought him to Oakland.
Now if you want to blame Callahan for unintentional contributions to the loss, that's another story.
posted by rcade at 10:02 AM on January 23, 2013
Tim Brown is set to join the Dan Patrick Show at about 11:20 EST.
posted by NoMich at 11:08 AM on January 23, 2013
Well, if the stories of Callahan not changing the playbook after Gruden left are true, then the SB loss should be chalked up to incompetence and laziness, not bad intent.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:21 AM on January 23, 2013
Wait... Jerry Rice says that a pass-heavy offense is tantamount to throwing the game. Jerry. Rice.
posted by Etrigan at 01:05 PM on January 23, 2013
Hope they have some real, hard evidence to back up their claims or they'll be sending a big chunk of money Callahan's way.
posted by dyams at 01:51 PM on January 23, 2013
Brown and Rice are highly respected players. Even if their claims are true one wonders what they expect to gain from speaking out now.
It sure would explain that game, though. Tampa appeared to be sitting on every single Raiders offensive play.
...all along I thought it was Gannon and the Raiders offensive line that had money on the outcome.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:27 PM on January 23, 2013
I didn't realize that Callahan was capable of vehemence.