For the past decade, the Raiders collapse in that game was blamed on the idea that the Raiders didn't change their playbook since when Jon Gruden was Raiders coach the season before. That still holds true to this day but Tim Brown thickened the plot by using the word "sabotage" with regard to Bill Callahan. Though widely discussed since Brown made those claims, much of it was seen as ridiculous but now Jerry Rice has chimed in and echoed much of what Tim Brown said initially and people are really listening now. Rice was asked by ESPN analyst Trey Wingo on Tuesday's NFL Live Broadcast if the game plan really had changed on that Friday before the game. "Yes it did," Rice responded. "I was very surprised by that because you work all week long running the football and then all of the sudden on that given Friday we decided we were going to come out and throw the ball over 60 times. And I think with Bill Callahan and what Tim Brown is accusing him of is that why would you wait until the last second to change the game plan." "You don't want to question your coach at that time but we just found that it was very unusual to change everything when we had Tyronne Wheatley and also Charlie Garner then we had probably the best fullback in the league with Zack Crocket. So we had a game plan and all of the sudden you change that game plan and basically we didn't know what was going to happen in that Super Bowl." "I think with Tim Brown, he'd been with the Raiders longer. I recall when I first went to the Raiders, for some reason, and I don't know why, Bill Callahan he didn't like me. He was that type of coach and some of the things that happened, you know, with him walking off the field during the game, not being happy about certain situations, I was very surprised that he waited until the last second and I think a lot of the players, they were surprised also. So in a way, maybe because he didn't like the Raiders, he thought maybe we should sabotage just a little bit and let Jon Gruden go out and win this one." There is no mixing up that Rice had just said Callahan sabotaged the Raiders in that game and he went on to make sure there was no confusion. "Yeah, I know exactly what I'm saying," Rice continued. "This is a discussion that Tim and I had and being veterans we know that you don't wait until the last second to change the game plan." Source: SBNation.com
I find the timing of this very interesting... you know with T Brown being up for the HOF. I understand why no one said anything while Callahan was still HC, but I think as soon as I had retired I would broke this, or anonymously leaked it, but then again business/puplic perceptions/politics isn't always a strong character trait in a pro athlete. If this is true, you have to blame Al Davis (RIP) His leadership / motivation style works with a certain personality type... You have to find the right guy... One with not only a chip on his shoulder, but also the right kind and size of chip. The kind where he needs, not wants, but needs to prove someone wrong. I would go on, but I'm gonna step out now.
I'm listening to a Bill romonowski interview on espn Chicago right now about this. He is saying some heavy crap. I expect to see some stories about this when it's over. He is not pulling any punches.
I'd tend to believe Romanowski based on the fact that: A. He doesn't give a crap and B. He's not afraid to pull any punches and C. He doesn't give a crap.
maybe they sabotaged themselves by letting gruden steal the signals and interpet the plays and make changes to the defense?
Brown addressed that today and said that it had to do with questions about Barret Robbins. He's also now denying the sabotage allegations. more on the sabotage denial:
