Former Oakland Raiders Coach Bill Callahan is denying claims made by two players that he “sabotaged” Super Bowl XXXVII, leading his team into an embarrassing 48–21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In a statement released Tuesday, Callahan called the players’ allegations “defamatory” and asked that they be retracted. “Any suggestion that I would undermine the integrity of the sport that I love and dedicated my life to, or dishonor the commitment I made to our players, coaches, and fans, is flat-out wrong,” he said. Callahan’s defense comes just one day after former Oakland receiver Jerry Rice publicly agreed with ex-teammate Tim Brown’s claim that he deliberately led his team to failure. Callahan now coaches for the Dallas Cowboys.
