Post by TheShadow on May 21, 2006 8:50:47 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Rich Gannon doesn’t carry a grudge.
Gannon still seethes over the beating Tampa Bay dealt him and the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. And he has not forgotten the hit by Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks that ended his career.
But Gannon, who earned MVP honors while running Jon Gruden’s offense in Oakland, spent two days last week in Tampa Bay tutoring the Bucs’ young quarterbacks.
“Jon asked me to come down and talk to them a little bit and share some things that helped me play the position over the years,” said Gannon, who spent 18 seasons in the NFL before retiring in August 2005 and joining CBS Sports as a game analyst. “You pick up valuable tips and keys that can help these guys, I hope. I’m happy to do that.”
Gannon, 40, played three seasons under Gruden in Oakland and three under Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett when Hackett was offensive coordinator for the Chiefs in the mid-1990s. Those familiar ties were enough to overcome any discomfort he felt being at the Buccaneers’ facility.
“I walk in the building, and there are pictures of me getting sacked in the Super Bowl,” said Gannon, who was sacked five times and threw five interceptions in the Raiders’ 48-21 loss to the Bucs. “It will always be a sore spot. ... But it’s funny, I was just showing (Bucs defensive coordinator) Monte Kiffin my notes from the game. I told him it’s unfortunate we couldn’t get to some of this stuff because of the way the game went.”