Fade to Brown

End of an Era indeed. Before I wax poetic about “Downtown Timmy Brown” as I have affectionately referred to him many times while handing Mike his hat during numerous Madden battles, I want to clear up an error at Mike’s expense. Tim Brown is not my favorite NFL-er. He’s not even my favorite Raider. Both of those distinctions go to Howie Long. Long was the player I wanted to grow up to be like when I was a kid even though I knew it would never happen. You have a real sense of gravity at a young age about these things when your dad is short. Anyway, while not my favorite, TB is my most beloved Raider. I am sure its sounds like I have just contradicted myself, but I will explain. TB, joined the Raiders when I was halfway through my teen years. He has been a Raider for most if not all of my (diehard) sports fan life. He played for the Raiders during a time of inescapable mediocrity in Raiderdom. He played with the sorriest list of quarterbacks you can come up with (Schroeder, Marinovich, Hobert, etc.) and some barely above average ones. Despite that fact, Tim Brown is 2nd all-time in receiving yards, 3rd all-time in receptions, and 4th all-time in touchdowns. For many years, TB was the face of the Raiders. In spite of all of his accomplishments, he was rarely mentioned as one of the best. I don’t really have one crystallizing memory of Tim Brown, but I do remember time and again, when the Raiders needed a first down or a big play he was there (like 4th and 32, right Mike ;)), sometimes in triple coverage.

Howie Long retired about a decade ago and Tim Brown is the last of the L.A. Raiders, although not the champion L.A. Raiders, so personally for me it is an end of an era. I am looking at the last player I grew up watching as a kid. Now as an adult approaching the age that is considered over the hill for most professional athletes, pro sports is becoming filled mostly with people who will always be younger than me and to whom I will never look up. So, there is some personal loss here as well.

For so long did Tim Brown toil to make the Raiders great, that it is heartbreaking to think that he will most likely never have a Super Bowl ring. Thanks Jon Gruden (which is the nicest name I have for him). If Timmy does find another team, I will cheer for him even though seeing him is something other than Silver and Black will be weirder than anything I’ve ever known. Brown has been a class act his whole career with the heart of a champion that will most likely never be one.

Another sad facet of this story is by whom he is getting replaced. In reality, the Raiders have a number of young receivers that they have been holding back and want to let loose. Symbolically, however, Tim Brown is being replaced by Mr. Forty-Niner, Jerry Rice, a man Brown has been in the shadow of his whole career. I will not argue that Rice is the better pro. It’s obvious, but if Brown had the benefit of two perennial pro-bowl quarterbacks and the West Coast offense his whole career…

This is all I can muster right now. Tactically, I hope this works out for the Raiders. I am chomping at the bit to see Norv Turner take the team to another old-school Raiders Super Bowl. Even in my anticipation of that day, I still can’t imagine what it will be like watching the Raiders without seeing #81 Brown at the line of scrimmage. Right now my heart just hurts.