http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_10729676?source=rss
ALAMEDA — Tim Brown was called a lot of things during his 16-year career with the Raiders, most of them by former coach Jon Gruden.
Touchdown Timmy. Coach Brown. Offensive coordinator Brown. Captain Brown. Doctor Brown. Ambassador Brown. Perennial Pro Bowler Tim Brown. Future Hall of Famer Tim Brown.
Now, Brown is lobbying to add yet another moniker to the list. On Tuesday night, Brown said he is open to the idea of rejoining the Raiders as sort of a consultant in hopes of helping managing general partner Al Davis turn around the team's fortunes.
"It would take me about two seconds to make that decision," Brown said in a lengthy interview on KHTK radio in Sacramento. "At some point, home is home."
Brown called Oakland home for nine of his 16 seasons with the Raiders — they played in Los Angeles during Brown's first seven seasons. These days, Brown resides in Dallas.
However, he is tired of hearing everyone pile on the Raiders in light of Davis firing coach Lane Kiffin four games into this season and wants to return "home."
"Right now, the perception of the Raiders is not good, and that's what's so bad is it is a great organization, it has done great things in the NFL," Brown said. "For people to be in any way thinking that the Raiders are just a laughingstock of the league, it hurts me to the core. I wish there was something that I could do on a day-to-day basis to really help that situation
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out."
Interestingly, former Raiders defensive back Albert Lewis met with Davis after the 1997 season about the prospect of serving as a liaison between Davis and the players, bridging the gap and helping Davis understand the chasm that formed under then-coach Joe Bugel.
"He just didn't see how I could help out," Lewis said. "I tried to explain it to him, but he wasn't interested."
A Raiders spokesman confirmed that Davis and Brown have not spoken about a possible return. The spokesman also said that bringing back Brown in any capacity, at this time, is not in the works.
In recent days and weeks, former players such as quarterback Rich Gannon, running back Dominic Rhodes and defensive tackle Warren Sapp have criticized Davis and the Raiders.
Gannon said Oakland is an "impossible place to work." Sapp said it is a "hell pit" and wouldn't recommend Oakland to any free agent.
"Hearing a guy like Gannon say something negative about the organization is really wrong," Brown said. "Gannon knows that he came here (from the Chiefs) with that, 'I-hate-the-Raiders-type mentality.' He "... showed that to all the players.
"Gannon wasn't a very well-liked player his whole time with the Raiders. In fact, he was downright hated and, if not for my intervention, a lot of times, there would have been times he would have been, sure enough, jumped on."
Brown also has doled out his share of unflattering comments toward the organization. Even so, he said, he wants to be part of the solution for a franchise that has a 20-65 record since Brown and the Raiders played in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.
He said the six-season downturn makes it a no-lose situation for Davis.
"You can't do worse than what's been done already," Brown said. "It's like whoever wins the job as president (of the U.S.). 'Hey, man, this is the easiest job in America after what's happened the last eight years.' You got to do better than what's happened."
Running back Justin Fargas is one of four players on the roster who played with Brown. He said there is something to be gained by having someone like Brown around.
"With his experience, not just as a football player, but as a Raider and a member of this organization, that would be very valuable to us as players," Fargas said. "His knowledge as a player and how things work here, I'm sure it would help. "... I'd love to see Tim Brown around here."
Brown will be in town for a memorial for the late Gene Upshaw. He hopes to leave with a better grasp of where Davis stands on the matter.
"That just may be my opportunity," Brown said, "to whisper in (Davis') ear and say, 'Come on, man, I can't take it no more. Every time you turn on the TV and the Raiders are mentioned, there's a punch line behind it.'"‰"
ALAMEDA — Tim Brown was called a lot of things during his 16-year career with the Raiders, most of them by former coach Jon Gruden.
Touchdown Timmy. Coach Brown. Offensive coordinator Brown. Captain Brown. Doctor Brown. Ambassador Brown. Perennial Pro Bowler Tim Brown. Future Hall of Famer Tim Brown.
Now, Brown is lobbying to add yet another moniker to the list. On Tuesday night, Brown said he is open to the idea of rejoining the Raiders as sort of a consultant in hopes of helping managing general partner Al Davis turn around the team's fortunes.
"It would take me about two seconds to make that decision," Brown said in a lengthy interview on KHTK radio in Sacramento. "At some point, home is home."
Brown called Oakland home for nine of his 16 seasons with the Raiders — they played in Los Angeles during Brown's first seven seasons. These days, Brown resides in Dallas.
However, he is tired of hearing everyone pile on the Raiders in light of Davis firing coach Lane Kiffin four games into this season and wants to return "home."
"Right now, the perception of the Raiders is not good, and that's what's so bad is it is a great organization, it has done great things in the NFL," Brown said. "For people to be in any way thinking that the Raiders are just a laughingstock of the league, it hurts me to the core. I wish there was something that I could do on a day-to-day basis to really help that situation
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out."
Interestingly, former Raiders defensive back Albert Lewis met with Davis after the 1997 season about the prospect of serving as a liaison between Davis and the players, bridging the gap and helping Davis understand the chasm that formed under then-coach Joe Bugel.
"He just didn't see how I could help out," Lewis said. "I tried to explain it to him, but he wasn't interested."
A Raiders spokesman confirmed that Davis and Brown have not spoken about a possible return. The spokesman also said that bringing back Brown in any capacity, at this time, is not in the works.
In recent days and weeks, former players such as quarterback Rich Gannon, running back Dominic Rhodes and defensive tackle Warren Sapp have criticized Davis and the Raiders.
Gannon said Oakland is an "impossible place to work." Sapp said it is a "hell pit" and wouldn't recommend Oakland to any free agent.
"Hearing a guy like Gannon say something negative about the organization is really wrong," Brown said. "Gannon knows that he came here (from the Chiefs) with that, 'I-hate-the-Raiders-type mentality.' He "... showed that to all the players.
"Gannon wasn't a very well-liked player his whole time with the Raiders. In fact, he was downright hated and, if not for my intervention, a lot of times, there would have been times he would have been, sure enough, jumped on."
Brown also has doled out his share of unflattering comments toward the organization. Even so, he said, he wants to be part of the solution for a franchise that has a 20-65 record since Brown and the Raiders played in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.
He said the six-season downturn makes it a no-lose situation for Davis.
"You can't do worse than what's been done already," Brown said. "It's like whoever wins the job as president (of the U.S.). 'Hey, man, this is the easiest job in America after what's happened the last eight years.' You got to do better than what's happened."
Running back Justin Fargas is one of four players on the roster who played with Brown. He said there is something to be gained by having someone like Brown around.
"With his experience, not just as a football player, but as a Raider and a member of this organization, that would be very valuable to us as players," Fargas said. "His knowledge as a player and how things work here, I'm sure it would help. "... I'd love to see Tim Brown around here."
Brown will be in town for a memorial for the late Gene Upshaw. He hopes to leave with a better grasp of where Davis stands on the matter.
"That just may be my opportunity," Brown said, "to whisper in (Davis') ear and say, 'Come on, man, I can't take it no more. Every time you turn on the TV and the Raiders are mentioned, there's a punch line behind it.'"‰"
