Post by TheShadow on Dec 4, 2003 19:26:07 GMT -5
www.pressdemocrat.com
December 4, 2003
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
ALAMEDA -- On Wednesday, reporters finally got to query the Raiders about
the Monday meeting between coach Bill Callahan and his players. Apparently,
it wasn't the fireworks show that many had anticipated.
"Just another day at the office," tackle Lincoln Kennedy said with a laugh.
Whether induced by a couple nights of solid sleep or a campaign to promote
the company line, no one was throwing daggers around the locker room. After
the 22-8 loss to Denver on Sunday, many players were inflamed that Callahan
had referred to the Raiders as "the dumbest team in America." On Wednesday,
most offered support of their coach, or at least understanding of his
annoyance.
Callahan, for his part, had no desire to revisit the theme. "I addressed it
with the squad," he said. "We know where we're at, and during the season
that we're in, at 3-9, it hasn't been a bed of roses. We've been frustrated.
Mistakes have hurt us. But we learn from it, and we're going to move on."
"Guys got stuff off their chests," tight end Teyo Johnson said. "Everyone
came away satisfied with where we are as a football team."
Well, perhaps not everyone unburdened their chests completely. Running back
Tyrone Wheatley, who angrily slapped at a photographer's camera outside a
San Francisco courthouse three weeks ago, got a little testy in the locker
room Wednesday.
Wheatley blamed the media for the "dumbest team" flap. "We know how you guys
are," he said. "Not all of you. But most of you poke and prod, and you know
which direction you want to take something. Then you twist and pinch it in
that direction."
Wheatley argued that most players hadn't heard Callahan's quotes directly.
Or if they had, it was an edited or condensed version of the events.
"A lot of players heard it on TV," he said. "It was placed or edited in a
certain way. It's your monster you made. Now you want us to respond, but
that's not our job."
Still, several players were kind enough to respond, and they were eager to
back Callahan's authority.
"It's been a rough year," fullback Chris Hetherington said. "The coach is
entitled to his opinion. He's the boss."
"People have to step back and put yourself in coach Callahan's position,"
Johnson added. "You come in early every day and stay until 11 o'clock every
night, and then you come up short. It's a tough position to be in."
Johnson seemed to buy Callahan's distinction between bashing the play and
bashing the player. The coach's criticism became a problem, he said, only as
it went public.
"I don't take it personal," Johnson said. "He's yelled at me numerous times.
I never thought, 'Oh, he doesn't like me, Teyo Johnson.' But now you put it
on the cover of USA Today, and my friends are calling me about it. Now I've
got to go out on the street and hear people asking, 'Why is your coach
calling you dummies?' "
Johnson went further than any Raider yet in suggesting that Callahan may
have been right about his mistake-prone team. "He's not wrong," the rookie
said. "We've gone out and made mistakes that cost us. I'm guilty of it.
We're all guilty."
Guilty or innocent, the Raiders sounded ready to leave this latest episode
of the soap opera behind, and move on to more pressing matters.
"We have four games left," Callahan said. "I look at it as, we have four
games left, we have an opportunity to win four games."
December 4, 2003
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
ALAMEDA -- On Wednesday, reporters finally got to query the Raiders about
the Monday meeting between coach Bill Callahan and his players. Apparently,
it wasn't the fireworks show that many had anticipated.
"Just another day at the office," tackle Lincoln Kennedy said with a laugh.
Whether induced by a couple nights of solid sleep or a campaign to promote
the company line, no one was throwing daggers around the locker room. After
the 22-8 loss to Denver on Sunday, many players were inflamed that Callahan
had referred to the Raiders as "the dumbest team in America." On Wednesday,
most offered support of their coach, or at least understanding of his
annoyance.
Callahan, for his part, had no desire to revisit the theme. "I addressed it
with the squad," he said. "We know where we're at, and during the season
that we're in, at 3-9, it hasn't been a bed of roses. We've been frustrated.
Mistakes have hurt us. But we learn from it, and we're going to move on."
"Guys got stuff off their chests," tight end Teyo Johnson said. "Everyone
came away satisfied with where we are as a football team."
Well, perhaps not everyone unburdened their chests completely. Running back
Tyrone Wheatley, who angrily slapped at a photographer's camera outside a
San Francisco courthouse three weeks ago, got a little testy in the locker
room Wednesday.
Wheatley blamed the media for the "dumbest team" flap. "We know how you guys
are," he said. "Not all of you. But most of you poke and prod, and you know
which direction you want to take something. Then you twist and pinch it in
that direction."
Wheatley argued that most players hadn't heard Callahan's quotes directly.
Or if they had, it was an edited or condensed version of the events.
"A lot of players heard it on TV," he said. "It was placed or edited in a
certain way. It's your monster you made. Now you want us to respond, but
that's not our job."
Still, several players were kind enough to respond, and they were eager to
back Callahan's authority.
"It's been a rough year," fullback Chris Hetherington said. "The coach is
entitled to his opinion. He's the boss."
"People have to step back and put yourself in coach Callahan's position,"
Johnson added. "You come in early every day and stay until 11 o'clock every
night, and then you come up short. It's a tough position to be in."
Johnson seemed to buy Callahan's distinction between bashing the play and
bashing the player. The coach's criticism became a problem, he said, only as
it went public.
"I don't take it personal," Johnson said. "He's yelled at me numerous times.
I never thought, 'Oh, he doesn't like me, Teyo Johnson.' But now you put it
on the cover of USA Today, and my friends are calling me about it. Now I've
got to go out on the street and hear people asking, 'Why is your coach
calling you dummies?' "
Johnson went further than any Raider yet in suggesting that Callahan may
have been right about his mistake-prone team. "He's not wrong," the rookie
said. "We've gone out and made mistakes that cost us. I'm guilty of it.
We're all guilty."
Guilty or innocent, the Raiders sounded ready to leave this latest episode
of the soap opera behind, and move on to more pressing matters.
"We have four games left," Callahan said. "I look at it as, we have four
games left, we have an opportunity to win four games."