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Wide receiver Tim Brown put on his best face as he sat next to Raiders managing general partner Al Davis during Brown's farewell news conference Aug. 4. He said all the right things, thanked all the right people and left town after 16 seasons with his head held high.
Six days later, he was introduced as the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Only then, in a group interview session with Buccaneers beat writers, did he let his true feelings known.
"I don't want to walk away from this game letting a general manager or a coach or an offensive coordinator or quarterback who may be mad at you that week dictate how many balls you get or how long you're going to play this game," Brown said. "If I had stayed in Oakland, that's what it would have been. I didn't want to go out like that. ... I don't want to give anybody that kind of power over my life."
Davis' version had Brown refusing to accept a role as the fourth or fifth receiver and the prospect of not playing in some games, and asking for his release.
Brown said he was under the impression throughout the offseason that he was one of the two starting receivers or, at worst, the third receiver, even though he realized in April and May that some "strange" things were happening.
Things really got weird, Brown said, when Davis called Brown three days before training camp started July 28 and requested a face-to-face meeting.
"He hadn't called me in 16 years," Brown said.
Two more calls ensued within the next 24 hours, Brown said. This time, Davis mentioned talking about Brown's role or the "alternatives."
"When I heard alternatives, the whole thing stopped for me," Brown said. "I told my wife, start packing the bags because there's a good chance I'm going to be back (in Dallas) because when you get to talking about alternatives, after 16 years of service, that shouldn't even be an option."
Brown asked for and received his release Aug. 5. He now is reunited with former coach Jon Gruden and former Raiders senior assistant Bruce Allen.
Allen's replacement in Oakland, senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi, was at the root of Brown's departure, according to Brown. He accused Lombardi of telling new coach Norv Turner that Brown had to go.
"(Lombardi) pretty much sold Norv on the concept of, it can never be your team as long as Tim Brown is here," Brown said. "And that was the truth. If I was there, it was going to be my team, because the guys were going to listen to me, because I had years in the league and I'd been there for so long. And the decisions I made in the locker room had always worked out for us."
Lombardi said he won't comment on something he didn't see or hear for himself. Davis was unavailable for comment.
Turner, for his part, never let on that Brown's role would be diminished this season before Brown's meeting with Davis. Brown spent considerable time with the first-team offense and was "running well," Turner said Aug. 2.
Hence the reason, Brown said, a one-on-one visit he received in his room from Turner the night before the news conference caught him off-guard.
"I thought he was going to say, 'I've got to have you,'" Brown said. "But he comes in and says, 'It was great working with you.' I was, like, 'OK.' He's, like, 'I'm sorry. It's not going to work out with the numbers. I'm going to miss your leadership.'"
Brown said he isn't going to miss being told when it's time for him to step aside.
"I know that I can still play this game," Brown said. "At the same time, I want to put myself in situations, and (Gruden) will do that, where I can make plays. If I can't make the plays, then everybody at the end of the year will know what time it is."
Source: CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Six days later, he was introduced as the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Only then, in a group interview session with Buccaneers beat writers, did he let his true feelings known.
"I don't want to walk away from this game letting a general manager or a coach or an offensive coordinator or quarterback who may be mad at you that week dictate how many balls you get or how long you're going to play this game," Brown said. "If I had stayed in Oakland, that's what it would have been. I didn't want to go out like that. ... I don't want to give anybody that kind of power over my life."
Davis' version had Brown refusing to accept a role as the fourth or fifth receiver and the prospect of not playing in some games, and asking for his release.
Brown said he was under the impression throughout the offseason that he was one of the two starting receivers or, at worst, the third receiver, even though he realized in April and May that some "strange" things were happening.
Things really got weird, Brown said, when Davis called Brown three days before training camp started July 28 and requested a face-to-face meeting.
"He hadn't called me in 16 years," Brown said.
Two more calls ensued within the next 24 hours, Brown said. This time, Davis mentioned talking about Brown's role or the "alternatives."
"When I heard alternatives, the whole thing stopped for me," Brown said. "I told my wife, start packing the bags because there's a good chance I'm going to be back (in Dallas) because when you get to talking about alternatives, after 16 years of service, that shouldn't even be an option."
Brown asked for and received his release Aug. 5. He now is reunited with former coach Jon Gruden and former Raiders senior assistant Bruce Allen.
Allen's replacement in Oakland, senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi, was at the root of Brown's departure, according to Brown. He accused Lombardi of telling new coach Norv Turner that Brown had to go.
"(Lombardi) pretty much sold Norv on the concept of, it can never be your team as long as Tim Brown is here," Brown said. "And that was the truth. If I was there, it was going to be my team, because the guys were going to listen to me, because I had years in the league and I'd been there for so long. And the decisions I made in the locker room had always worked out for us."
Lombardi said he won't comment on something he didn't see or hear for himself. Davis was unavailable for comment.
Turner, for his part, never let on that Brown's role would be diminished this season before Brown's meeting with Davis. Brown spent considerable time with the first-team offense and was "running well," Turner said Aug. 2.
Hence the reason, Brown said, a one-on-one visit he received in his room from Turner the night before the news conference caught him off-guard.
"I thought he was going to say, 'I've got to have you,'" Brown said. "But he comes in and says, 'It was great working with you.' I was, like, 'OK.' He's, like, 'I'm sorry. It's not going to work out with the numbers. I'm going to miss your leadership.'"
Brown said he isn't going to miss being told when it's time for him to step aside.
"I know that I can still play this game," Brown said. "At the same time, I want to put myself in situations, and (Gruden) will do that, where I can make plays. If I can't make the plays, then everybody at the end of the year will know what time it is."
Source: CONTRA COSTA TIMES
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