http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2013/01/22/jerry-rice-backs-up-tim-browns-claim/ Tim Brown, Jerry Rice both feel that Bill Callahan, head coach of the Raiders during their 2002 Super Bowl appearance, essentially threw the game. I remember this game was crazy. This is when Barrett Robbins went crazy a couple days before the game (Brown implies this is partly what triggered Robbins' episode).
No shit?!?! I am a huge Raiders fan and was sooo fucking pissed when Robbins went awol. If Bill Callahan in fact threw the game; I hope nothing but terrible karma his way until the day he dies.
If indeed the game plan change came before that guy went AWOL (I've heard it was the other way around today as well), then I'd guess it was an order coming down from Al Davis. I can't see any professional athlete/coach throwing a game unless there was serious money involved. To get where they are in their profession, they have to be uber competitive. Plus, Al Davis giving a last minute order isn't the most unreasonable explanation, ha.
The man quote saying "Just win baby?!" I don't know why Al Davis would ever put out an order to throw a game. He would be the last person on Earth I suspect of doing something like that. Now if you want to talk about how terrible he was as an owning his last 12 years; you got something to talk about. But purposely losing a superbowl game? Nah.....
Oh, I didn't mean he tried to throw the game. The plan was bruise Tampa Bay with the power run game. The 11th hour change was to go more in the air, which fits with Al Davis. I think the game ended with close to 50 passes and 11 rushes (2 by Gannon), though that was partly due to the fact that they got so far behind.
If Davis instructed a game plan change, it would have been due to fear of Gruden, not to throw the game.
Oh, and Ganon was MVP that year. I'm guessing Davis wouldn't like his MVP QB just handing the ball off all game. I'm sure we'll never know the whole story though. I just looked up the game. 5 int's and 3 pick sixes. Ouch!
I am a huge Raider fan too. I remember waking up that Sunday morning and the big news was that Barrett Robbins was AWOL. I know we were fucked at that point. It's been a long, painful ride as a fan since that game.
This had been talked about before, back in like 2006, but it rarely got a blip on the screen. It's certainly interesting.
Dude, this excerpt from the Brown interview..... the Brown interview is clearly more scathing, or makes it sounds far more significant/serious than the Rice article. These are two guys who were stars who really weren't known for causing a ruckus, so it's interesting they're talking about it now.
I'm a big Raider fan, but I tend to agree more with Romo. Hard to picture an NFL coach throwing away a possible Super Bowl win to help out a friend. Callahan was a stupid ass motherfucker, and I wouldn't put it past Al to gather intel and change the gameplan last second. But regardless, I think we got the shit kicked out of us because Gruden had the book on the whole team.
