Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was recently on The Dan Patrick Show, where Patrick asked Macdonald if anyone helped him prepare for the New England Patriots ahead of Super Bowl LX. The coach’s answer has sparked some controversy centered around Las Vegas Raiders’ minority owner Tom Brady.
“[Former Baltimore Ravens’ and current New York Giants’ head coach] John Harbaugh and I talked. He was great. I probably can’t mention one guy that really helped us out who had some conflict of interest,” Macdonald said while smiling and laughing on air. Patrick followed up by guessing former Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, which Macdonald immediately shot down.
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As a result, the internet is speculating that the eventual Super Bowl-winning coach’s source was none other than Brady.
Before the big game in February, the former Patriot struck controversy in New England when he said that he didn’t have a rooting interest in the contest despite spending 20 seasons and winning six Lombardi trophies with the Pats. At the time, that comment was viewed as the owner/broadcaster trying to appear neutral in the public eye given his role calling games for Fox. However, the Super Bowl was aired on NBC, so there was no need for Brady to be a centrist.
Given that, and the fact that Brady could have several “conflicts of interest” in this situation with his ties to the Patriots, role as another team’s owner in the NFL, and job as a commentator, there are a bunch of reasons to believe he’s the anonymous advisor Macdonald is referring to. Plus, Brady had already interviewed and agreed to hire former Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as the Raiders’ next head coach in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
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So, maybe he had a rooting interest after all; it just wasn’t the team most people would expect…
In Other Raiders’ Links:
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Mark Davis grass proponent: “I just always felt that football should be played on grass. That’s for safety purposes, No. 1. I want it to look like a game was played even if it’s an indoor field. You see grass stains and everything else. I wasn’t going to build a stadium without it being grass once I knew that capability was there. Obviously, it added a lot of cost, but it’s worth it,” Davis told The LA Times’ A.J. Perez.
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Offensive wildcards: “Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton are set for pivotal roles in the Raiders’ passing game, but both will not be handed the opportunities either,” S&BP’s Tristen Kuhn wrote. “The Raiders have Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker, and both will likely have crucial roles for the Raiders offense working in the intermediate to short range, while also having key roles downfield.”
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Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg, More than special teamers?: “It’s within the realm of possibility. But the climb will be steep for both Eichenberg and Lindenberg,” via S&BP’s Ray Aspuria. “Namely, the pair of young linebackers must rapidly improve pass coverage skills, separate from veterans at the position group, and capitalizing on snaps received when the Raiders reconvene for training camp later this month.”
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