Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown reacted to Thursday's news that coach Art Shell had been replaced by Mike White by unleashing a verbal attack on owner Al Davis, saying that the team's problems were less the fault of the coach than the owner.
"Nothing is going to change," Brown said Friday from Honolulu, where he is preparing for today's NFL Pro Bowl. "They could bring in Superman, and he couldn't coach this team if the hierarchy doesn't change its philosophy.
"I don't think anybody on this team thinks that Art Shell is the reason we didn't make the playoffs. I hate to see him be the fall guy and take the responsibility for the ineptness of the players. If Al is directing the ship, I think he should accept the responsibility. I think the head guy must change. If the head don't change, the body don't change.
"I think Al should be the coach. Let him be the head coach. At least that way, we would get it from the horse's mouth. We would know what he is thinking."
Davis would not comment on Brown's remarks.
Brown said that Shell lost the players' respect because they perceived that he and his assistants had no power.
"We can't continue with coaches who have no control," Brown said. "When you know people are being told what to do, you have no respect for them, and you're not going to listen to them. That's why you have discipline problems."
Brown said he was not surprised that White got the job.
"I don't think anyone from the outside would want to come in and lTC be a part of all the things that go on here," he said. "I think [White] is a good offensive coach. But will he have the input? Things have to be different. I would love to think they will."