What could be one of the biggest losses for the Raiders yet is not in a game but their head coach.
Jon Gruden “resigned” as the leading coach for the Las Vegas Raiders with ten years of misogynistic, racist and homophobic language in emails sent to former football executive Bruce Allen and other elite personnel.
“I do know this, at that point of my life, eleven years ago or ten years ago, I am sure I vented a little bit…” Gruden told The Athletic. However, “vented a little bit” is an understatement.
Gruden’s vulgar thoughts and remarks shared to Allen from 2011 to 2018 is not just a moment of letting off some steam but is representative of the true beliefs he holds. Gruden is just another privileged white man who got away for years and should’ve been fired when the incidents started to occur.
Gruden’s emails range from Caitlyn Jenner to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The emails were discovered by an ongoing investigation into the Washington football team, which Allen used to manage back in 2004 to2008.
Allen used his work email, which in turn, is how Gruden’s emails came to light even though it was through his personal email account. The New York Times was the first news source to review the emails and to share them with the public.
Gruden said in many emails that the NFL needs to stop hiring women, gay people and players who protested against the national anthem. Gruden complained, shamed and disrespected almost everyone he could that didn’t fit his way of life.
In similar emails, Gruden told Allen that Jeff Fisher, former St. Louis Rams coach “needs to stop drafting ‘queers” while Gruden ironically coached Carl Nassib, the first openly gay active player. This is not surprising since Gruden also criticized Michael Sam who came out as gay in 2014 while in the NFL.
Gruden doesn’t stop there with his “venting” sessions with Allen; the ex Raiders coach then called Goodell a f*ggot and a “clueless anti-football pussy.”
My take: Gruden did not say his opinion of Goodell to his face, so who’s really one?
Not only is Gruden homophobic and sexist, but he is a racist too. Another racist white man living in his privileged, self absorbed world, with his once 100 million dollar coaching contract.
DeMaurice Smith, the NFL players association executive director, worked with Gruden for over ten years. Working on “Monday Night Football” together, Gruden refers to Smith as “Dumboriss” and says the only reason why Smith is on the show is for color analyst.
Gruden also goes on about Smith’s appearance “Dumborris Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires,” he wrote in emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
All comments were never brought to light until now since Gruden only spoke this way to his favorite ranting buddy Bruce Allen.
For years, Gruden has spoken about NFL officials, sports journalists and prominent figures like our former president Barack Obama. It seemed Gruden had something to say about everyone and everything in the world.
The NFL promotes racial equality yet the franchise hires a coach that is the poster child for inequality. Jon Gruden is not the only one. There are more coaches and staff that have terrible agendas who are under the table right now just as Gruden was for years.
The NFL was required to force Gruden to resign. If not, the league would be condoning his behavior, parishing the NFL’s whole motto: “It Takes All of Us” referring to the on-going fight to end racism, social injustice and inequality.
This stands for everyone except apparently your coaches, NFL.
Daniela Ramirez is a junior studying journalism. Follow her on Instagram @thejournalist_danielaramirez.
