Post by TheShadow on Dec 4, 2003 19:35:44 GMT -5
www.zwire.com
By Jim Wexell , For the Herald-Standard
PITTSBURGH - The coach of "The dumbest team in America" made a call to Pittsburgh yesterday.
He was smart enough to make the connection, and he recognized the voices on the other end as reporters, but he failed to answer the question. Twice. It was this: How has your team responded to you calling them The Dumbest Team in America?
"We are directing our energies towards our preparation for Pittsburgh because we are challenged by everything we see on film," said Oakland Raiders Coach Bill Callahan. "Their offensive weaponry and their defense are still playing at very high levels. They are very physical and intense on the defensive side of the ball. We are challenged by that and we are going to meet that challenge the best that we can this week."
Callahan might coach The Dumbest Team in America, but he's bright enough to know how to not answer a question. So it was asked again, only with different words: Is your team still with you?
"We are challenged," Callahan said. "It is tough times when you are 3-9 in the National Football League. It is tough times for anybody. The only focus that we have is winning. That is all that this is about. That is all that the National Football League is about. It is who wins and who loses. It is about nothing else. We have allowed a lot of teams victories over the course of our season because of the way that we have played. We have had ample opportunity to win a lot of the games that we lost. We still have an opportunity to win four games and this is our focus as we speak."
To backtrack, Callahan, who'd been openly criticized by his players this season, turned it around Sunday after his Raiders lost to the Denver Broncos, 22-8.
"If we don't learn how not to beat ourselves, we won't win again, and we won't win for a long time," Callahan shouted to reporters.
"We've got to be the dumbest team in America, in terms of playing the game. I'm highly critical because of the way we give games away. It's embarrassing and I resent that and I apologize for that. If that's the best we can do, it's a sad product."
The Raiders had committed 11 penalties for 89 yards that day to maintain their standing as the most penalized team in the NFL with 112 penalties for 937 yards. The league average is 81 penalties for 679 yards.
Of course, the remarks didn't go over too well with the players, who met with Callahan the next day. Callahan came off his remarks slightly, emphasizing "it's our play - it's not our players" while talking to the Oakland media.
"I look at our organization of 'Pride and Poise.' We have pride. We don't have poise right now."
Most NFL observers now look at the Raiders organization as 'Dumb and Dumber.' So it was understandable why Callahan refused to wade into the topic again on Wednesday. Veteran wide receiver Tim Brown also told Pittsburgh reporters to give it a rest.
"At this point, we are not talking about this stuff anymore and we are moving on," he said. "All the reactions have been had and now it is time to focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers. We had a little team meeting about that on Monday and everybody said what they needed to say. The team was not too happy about it, but at the same time it was a lot of truth. We have had some plays in the game the other day that cost us dearly. It is time to move on and talk about the Steelers."
The Steelers, on the other hand, found the comments amusing, but don't believe they will affect the Raiders on Sunday at Heinz Field.
"That's tough," said wide receiver Plaxico Burress. "It's a reflection on the coach too because it's his team. For him to go out and say that, it kind of makes him look bad."
"I think it was just frustration," said lineman Alan Faneca. "I can't imagine anyone really not being caught up in the moment and calling their whole team that. I thought he'd kind of back off that and he did."
How does Faneca expect the Raiders to respond Sunday?
"I don't know if it's that serious of an issue," he said. "I don't think I'd take it too personally if (Coach Bill) Cowher said that about us at this point in time. I mean we're only one game apart. I wouldn't take it too bad."
By Jim Wexell , For the Herald-Standard
PITTSBURGH - The coach of "The dumbest team in America" made a call to Pittsburgh yesterday.
He was smart enough to make the connection, and he recognized the voices on the other end as reporters, but he failed to answer the question. Twice. It was this: How has your team responded to you calling them The Dumbest Team in America?
"We are directing our energies towards our preparation for Pittsburgh because we are challenged by everything we see on film," said Oakland Raiders Coach Bill Callahan. "Their offensive weaponry and their defense are still playing at very high levels. They are very physical and intense on the defensive side of the ball. We are challenged by that and we are going to meet that challenge the best that we can this week."
Callahan might coach The Dumbest Team in America, but he's bright enough to know how to not answer a question. So it was asked again, only with different words: Is your team still with you?
"We are challenged," Callahan said. "It is tough times when you are 3-9 in the National Football League. It is tough times for anybody. The only focus that we have is winning. That is all that this is about. That is all that the National Football League is about. It is who wins and who loses. It is about nothing else. We have allowed a lot of teams victories over the course of our season because of the way that we have played. We have had ample opportunity to win a lot of the games that we lost. We still have an opportunity to win four games and this is our focus as we speak."
To backtrack, Callahan, who'd been openly criticized by his players this season, turned it around Sunday after his Raiders lost to the Denver Broncos, 22-8.
"If we don't learn how not to beat ourselves, we won't win again, and we won't win for a long time," Callahan shouted to reporters.
"We've got to be the dumbest team in America, in terms of playing the game. I'm highly critical because of the way we give games away. It's embarrassing and I resent that and I apologize for that. If that's the best we can do, it's a sad product."
The Raiders had committed 11 penalties for 89 yards that day to maintain their standing as the most penalized team in the NFL with 112 penalties for 937 yards. The league average is 81 penalties for 679 yards.
Of course, the remarks didn't go over too well with the players, who met with Callahan the next day. Callahan came off his remarks slightly, emphasizing "it's our play - it's not our players" while talking to the Oakland media.
"I look at our organization of 'Pride and Poise.' We have pride. We don't have poise right now."
Most NFL observers now look at the Raiders organization as 'Dumb and Dumber.' So it was understandable why Callahan refused to wade into the topic again on Wednesday. Veteran wide receiver Tim Brown also told Pittsburgh reporters to give it a rest.
"At this point, we are not talking about this stuff anymore and we are moving on," he said. "All the reactions have been had and now it is time to focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers. We had a little team meeting about that on Monday and everybody said what they needed to say. The team was not too happy about it, but at the same time it was a lot of truth. We have had some plays in the game the other day that cost us dearly. It is time to move on and talk about the Steelers."
The Steelers, on the other hand, found the comments amusing, but don't believe they will affect the Raiders on Sunday at Heinz Field.
"That's tough," said wide receiver Plaxico Burress. "It's a reflection on the coach too because it's his team. For him to go out and say that, it kind of makes him look bad."
"I think it was just frustration," said lineman Alan Faneca. "I can't imagine anyone really not being caught up in the moment and calling their whole team that. I thought he'd kind of back off that and he did."
How does Faneca expect the Raiders to respond Sunday?
"I don't know if it's that serious of an issue," he said. "I don't think I'd take it too personally if (Coach Bill) Cowher said that about us at this point in time. I mean we're only one game apart. I wouldn't take it too bad."