Brown's Comments Are Egotistical And Misplaced
RAIDERS INSIDER PAINTS A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF HIS LEADERSHIP
Former Raider wideout Tim Brown has the hapless 2006 Silver & Black figured out. There's a void in locker room leadership, he told the Los Angeles Times. The Fox Sports football analyst also blasted offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, while tip-toeing around any criticism over his former coach, Art Shell.
Brown might be rewriting history, though. It's a bit presumptuous for Brown loft himself to clubhouse king when players of more stature and gravitas such as Jerry Rice and Rich Gannon shared a locker room with the future Hall of Famer.
In fact, columnist Bob Padecky of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat wrote a column Sept. 17 about the void of Raider pride on this team and pinpointed its demise to the locker room culture Brown help create.
Padecky assessment of Brown's "leadership" skills in Oakland seems to be more plausible than the former Heisman trophy winner's.
The atmosphere were mediocre malcontents rule the roost still exist today. You could easily add Jerry Porter to the players with attitudes contrary to a cohesive team. His problems with Art Shell have already opened a divide between many on the team. The ultra-talkative Jarrod Cooper wondered aloud to the San Francisco Chronicle why the coach wasn't utilizing Porter while the offensive sputtered so badly two straight weeks.
The most ludicrous part of Brown's comments is that while he claims to be a Raider insider, his quotes give the impression that his grand assertions come from only a few players. The Raiders are leaderless according to Brown, but he goes on to say that he has no idea whether the presumptive leader, Warren Sapp, has any hold of the locker room.
Overall, Brown is correct in saying the Raiders are devoid of leadership, but it's not in the locker room, but it's with the coach's clipboard and in the owner's box.
Former Raider wideout Tim Brown has the hapless 2006 Silver & Black figured out. There's a void in locker room leadership, he told the Los Angeles Times. The Fox Sports football analyst also blasted offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, while tip-toeing around any criticism over his former coach, Art Shell.
I was on some bad teams there, but we were never devoid of leadership. Be it me, be it Marcus Allen back in the day, be it Howie Long, be it whomever. We were never devoid of leadership. And I think right now the locker room is barren.
Brown might be rewriting history, though. It's a bit presumptuous for Brown loft himself to clubhouse king when players of more stature and gravitas such as Jerry Rice and Rich Gannon shared a locker room with the future Hall of Famer.
In fact, columnist Bob Padecky of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat wrote a column Sept. 17 about the void of Raider pride on this team and pinpointed its demise to the locker room culture Brown help create.
For years, wide receiver Tim Brown was the ultimate clubhouse lawyer, the irritation under Davis' saddle. To a large extent, Brown created the culture that still exists today, in which if you ain't griping, you ain't trying hard enough to be a Raider. Brown's on-field accomplishments are legendary, Hall-of-Fame worthy, and yet when he retired, Davis refused to attend the press conference.
Exceptional talent has been given plenty of room by Davis, and so over the years, either by word or deed, Brown, defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, defensive tackle Darrell Russell, defensive back James Trapp and cornerback Charles Woodson were allowed to march to their own contrary drummer. Enough teammates went with them that, as a result, the Raiders have been largely out of step since they returned to Oakland in 1994.
Padecky assessment of Brown's "leadership" skills in Oakland seems to be more plausible than the former Heisman trophy winner's.
The atmosphere were mediocre malcontents rule the roost still exist today. You could easily add Jerry Porter to the players with attitudes contrary to a cohesive team. His problems with Art Shell have already opened a divide between many on the team. The ultra-talkative Jarrod Cooper wondered aloud to the San Francisco Chronicle why the coach wasn't utilizing Porter while the offensive sputtered so badly two straight weeks.
The most ludicrous part of Brown's comments is that while he claims to be a Raider insider, his quotes give the impression that his grand assertions come from only a few players. The Raiders are leaderless according to Brown, but he goes on to say that he has no idea whether the presumptive leader, Warren Sapp, has any hold of the locker room.
I never played with Warren Sapp — and I'm not necessarily hearing bad things about Warren Sapp — but I'm not hearing, 'He's our guy,' or, 'He's our leader.' I'm not hearing that about anybody on the offensive line, I'm not hearing that about anyone whatsoever.
Overall, Brown is correct in saying the Raiders are devoid of leadership, but it's not in the locker room, but it's with the coach's clipboard and in the owner's box.
