Quick hits
Former Raiders great Willie Brown dies
ALAMEDA — Willie Brown, one of the legendary figures in Oakland Raiders history and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has died, the club announced Tuesday.
The cause of death has not been released. Brown was 78 years old.
The Raiders issued the following statement:
“Willie Brown will forever be cherished as a true Raider. He exemplified the Raider spirit, originally entering the AFL as an undrafted free agent out of Grambling State before joining the Silver and Black in 1967. He remained an integral part of the organization through six decades. His legendary performance on the field changed the way the cornerback position was played and his valued guidance as a coach, mentor and administrator permeated the organization and touched countless individuals both on and off the field. Willie’s loss will leave a tremendous void, but his leadership and presence will always be a major part of the fabric of the Raiders Family.”
Brown was acquired by Raiders owner Al Davis after four seasons with the Denver Broncos in 1967. He played for the Raiders through 1978 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1984.
After retirement, Brown was an assistant coach for the Raiders from 1979 through 1988. He coached one season at Long Beach State in 1991 and was a high school coach at Jordan High in Los Angeles in 1994.
Dallas station apologizes for not interrupting Cowboys for tornado warning
DALLAS — NBC Channel 5 news station apologized Monday for not interrupting coverage of the Dallas Cowboys game with a tornado warning Sunday night.
An EF-3 tornado hit Dallas on Sunday and caused substantial damage at about 9:15 p.m. NBC 5 was broadcasting the Dallas Cowboys game and did not interrupt programming when a tornado warning was issued for the area.
Some said they received no warning of the tornado because they were watching the game.
Dennis Martinez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he was watching the game at home when “all of the sudden” the sky fell on them.
“We got a warning on our cellphones but that was it,” Martinez said.
NBC 5 issued this statement Monday: “During Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys game, we made a mistake by not immediately interrupting the football game with a Tornado Warning.
Heat legend Wade joins TNT as hoops commentator
It didn’t take Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade long to find a post-retirement gig.
Wade has reached a multi-year deal with TNT and WarnerMedia where he’ll be a basketball commentator. He’ll make appearances with TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew during its big events and will be a regular member of TNT’s Tuesday studio coverage with Shaquille O’Neal and Candace Parker.
Wade will also make studio appearances at the NCAA Final Four and National Championship. His contributions will include a variety of projects across Turner’s entire portfolio and cross-over a number of areas including sports, lifestyle and entertainment.
Wade made his debut with TNT during the NBA’s opening night on Tuesday.
“I’m thrilled and grateful to be joining the WarnerMedia family with many exciting opportunities ahead,” Wade said in a Turner-issued statement. “I have great respect for TNT’s team of analysts and their longstanding commitment to quality sports coverage. After sixteen seasons in the NBA, I look forward to connecting with my fans in this new role and bringing my own perspective to the game I love.”