Dumb and even Dumber ????

[Rhode Raider]

Bill Callahan called his team ''the dumbest team in America,'' Sunday, which just doesn't seem fair.

I mean, where does that leave the 49ers?

With all due respect to Callahan, why does his team get the title of ''dumbest'' all to itself?

The Bay Area has two 2002 playoff teams with a combined 8-16 record, two teams that failed to score one touchdown Sunday. We have the gridiron versions of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, competing each week for who can be dumber-er.

Even though Callahan tried Monday to clarify his remarks by saying, ''I'm not criticizing the intellect of the players,'' and even though we tell our kids not to ever, ever call anyone ''dumb,'' Callahan started this trend. And as Tim Brown says, once a bell is rung, it's hard to unring it.

So we're officially declaring the Bay Area ''the dumbest football metropolis in America.''

We've already cornered the market on the league's dumbest PSL plan, dumbest ticket prices, dumbest stadium-mall plan. But we're adding new layers of dumbness every week. Such as:

Dumbest way to lead the league: The Raiders are in first place in one category with 112 penalties for 937 yards. Although the 49ers limited themselves to six (for 46 yards) Sunday, a 15-yard facemask penalty on a punt return set up the first of two Baltimore touchdowns just before the half.

Dumbest use of hotel rooms: Our teams are a combined 0-12 on the road. The Raiders once intimidated other teams on the road. The 49ers were once perfection on the road, setting an NFL record with 18 straight wins. Now they are as useless on the road as those tiny shoeshine kits in your hotel bathroom.

Dumbest quarterback controversy: The 49ers used to have one of the best, Joe Montana vs. Steve Young. Now we've got Average vs. Mediocre. Yawn.

Dumbest farewell tour: If this is, indeed, the last year for Jerry Rice, Brown, Trace Armstrong, Rich Gannon and Rod Woodson, this is a sad and bitter way for them to depart. Can we have a proper goodbye party in January? The calendar is open.

Dumbest coaching firing: The canning of Steve Mariucci, who was booted after averaging 10 wins a year, even though he presided over two seasons of rebuilding. What exactly is Dennis Erickson doing better than Mariucci would have done? How exactly is this an improvement?

Dumbest way to walk away: Bill Romanowski, who is expected to officially retire after the season, broke a teammate's face, tested positive for a designer steroid, all the while proudly clutching his tackle box of ''supplements.''

Dumbest walk year by an athlete: Terrell Owens has dropped catchable passes, has questioned his teammates' heart, has ripped his quarterback, has been surly and isn't ranked among the top 10 in either receptions or yardage. Tough springboard to a mega-bucks signing bonus.

Dumbest place to save money: The 49ers kicking game. This is a yearly exercise in dumbness. Everyone in the league knows that in this age of parity, kicking wins games.

Dumbest thing to ignore: The running game. Both teams have been guilty of this, but the Raiders have been most egregious in their disregard. After pretending the running game didn't exist for much of the season, the Raiders reclaimed it in November and had some success. But Sunday Callahan abandoned it again.

Dumbest coaching era: We've been pretty lucky around here. Even when the 49ers had Monte Clark and Ken Meyer, the Raiders had John Madden to balance the scales. And when the Raiders had Mike White and Joe Bugel, the 49ers had George Seifert and Mariucci. We used to have geniuses or at least confidence-inspiring coaches. Not any more.

Dumbest excuses for losses: The Raiders have long held the copyright on this category, with their ''refs are out to get us,'' paranoia. But this season they added more lame excuses, such as ''We have a bull's-eye on our back,'' and ''We can turn it on when it counts,'' and ''It's Rich Gannon's fault.''

Dumbest way to use a Hall of Famer: Brown has spent the entire season sticking his tape-wrapped fingers into holes, trying to keep the pride and poise from leaking out. Brown has twin infants at home but he hears more crying at work.

Dumbest way to try to keep a job: Telling the world that your team is ''the dumbest team in America,'' when you still have four games left. But maybe Callahan already knows he's gone; he may be on his way to Tampa Bay to join Jon Gruden's coaching staff next year.

But he left us a parting gift, a catchy title for what we're currently witnessing: ''The Dumbest Football Season in Bay Area History.''

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mo...ts/7402776.htm

[Raider Fan]

That comment about the dumbest team in America is up there with the greatest post game meltdowns of all time. Hopefully that sealed Callahan's fate as the newest former coach of the Raiders.

[raidergurl04]

[oakdawg24]

Callahan is reminding me of Jim Mora. We cant win didly squat.

[Raiderrooter]

Originally posted by oakdawg24
Callahan is reminding me of Jim Mora. We cant win didly squat.

I believe it was "Didely Poo". Which is very gay sounding not that thers anything wrong with that. But I've heard alot of tiraids from a varity of coaches through the years. Callahan was reacting to the heat of the moment and I understood excatly what he meant before he even clarified. The players took it their own way so they can try and divert how badly they have played this season. God forbid they should say you know what we do play like dopes.

[Raider Fan]

Callahan showed his stupidity with that "dumbest team in America" comment. He really gave the Raider haters the raw meat they were looking for. ESPN now has an article on their website with an IQ test to see "if you are dumb enough to play for the Raiders"

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/hays/031202.html

This team won't win another game all year, mark my words...

[napofan58]

I don't believe he had the balls to say this, this is crazy, if they are the dumbest team in America, what does that make him? the dumbest coach

[Mr.Murder]

Actually Callahan apologized in the same statement, saying "I represent that". He blamed himself as well, but obviously these guys are giving games away.
There are so many injuries people will be out position and team chemistry will suffer. Penalties result. The kind of penalties have been the problem, when we have people in position to make the play they have not. The coach can put you in position to do it, but execution on individual level has not been there.
Harris Barton, whose big penalty led to a score, accepted the criticism. These guys will trash talk with the other players all day, but a coach's call-out is a no go? EBarton did not think so. They are lucky to have a sport as a profession, can have fun at it, and at the end of the week (win or lose) draw a paycheck.
If guys want to prove Cally wrong they need to do it on the field with better play. This may well be Cally's final month here, but these guys need to show some ability to stay at many positions their evaluations are going on still. Remember the 90s, we hired yes men to Al and went nowhere and seasons like this were the norm.
These guys made the superbowl as a team, doing their jobs and covering each other's tail on and off the field. How much a year changes that. It is sad but each game affords these players(and coaches) a chance to prove their loyalty goes beyond player-coach dynamic to the Raider Nation as whole. Many of them have not.
Al will change his motto this week. So much fingerpointing by all needs to stop. Rediscover what it is that makes you a player, what makes you part of the Commitment to Excellence!
JUST PLAY BABY! Get out there and have fun, cover your brother in Raider colors, and once you find that groove the abilities Al and Bruce saw in you to sign you as Raiders can take over and then it happens!
When your inherent abilities take over the results can be one thing "JUST WIN BABY!" Make these teams say "Damn! I'm glad we don't face them again!" Blow some folks up on both sides of the ball and in every phase of the game! Make teams take notice you'll be around next year with a grudge match to settle!