Jon Gruden admits to disparaging NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in email

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Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden confessed to disparaging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and criticizing various team owners in a series of emails 10 years ago, an admission he made during an interview with his former employer. , ESPN.

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Gruden acknowledged sending the emails in 2011 amid a labor dispute that led to a lockout. The emails, sent at a time when he was the game analyst on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” are being scrutinized following reports on Friday that he made a racial comment to describe DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, in a message.

“I was in a bad mood at the time [in 2011], and I also called Roger Goodell in one of these emails, ”the Raiders coach told ESPN Friday night for a report that aired Sunday. “They kept players and coaches from doing what they love with a lockout. A lot of things about the safety of the sport I love were also publicly reported. I was on a mission with high school soccer during that time, and there were many parents who were afraid to let their children play soccer. It just didn’t sit well with me. “

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Gruden did not identify the owners he criticized in connection with the labor negotiations. Regarding Goodell, ESPN said Gruden referred to him with a “vulgar description.”

ESPN reported that Raiders owner Mark Davis and team executives were in possession of the derogatory emails, and Gruden said he knew there were at least five of them. Davis said Friday that the content of the email referring to Smith was “disturbing.”

Gruden has acknowledged that he insulted Smith, saying he was “embarrassed” but “never had a racial thought” at the time he wrote the message.

The NFL is considering possible disciplinary action against Gruden, even though he was out of the NFL at the time.

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Rod Graves, CEO of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, told ESPN that Gruden’s words about Smith, who is black, warrant punishment.

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“The callous comments made by Jon Gruden about DeMaurice Smith are indicative of the racism that exists at many levels in professional sports,” Graves said in a statement Sunday morning. “Furthermore, it reveals that the journey of African Americans and other minorities in sport is littered with irrepressible mindsets at the highest level. We hope that the League and team property will address this matter with a remedy commensurate with these painful words. This is another turning point in a society fraught with cynical social blinders, with no respect for the intellectual capacity and leadership of minorities. When will it end? “

Gruden, 58, worked on the ESPN booth from the 2009-2017 seasons. Prior to ESPN, he coached the then Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading the latter to their first Super Bowl title after the 2002 season, before rejoining the Raiders in 2018.

He has a career record of 117-111, including 3-1 this season. The Raiders host the Chicago Bears (2-2) on Sunday.

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