Jon Gruden is deservedly drawing the ire of many far and wide for comments in emails that have since been leaked.
A series of emails from Gruden in 2011 were revealed this past week, among them one that had the now-Las Vegas Raiders head coach taking aim at the Players’ Association head DeMaurice Smith. In comments that in any context are racist, Gruden wrote that “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires (sic).”
Gruden has since apologized publicly and to his team. But during ESPN’s NFL pregame coverage Sunday, both Tedy Bruschi and Randy Moss ripped Gruden.
“This may have been 10 years ago, OK, but Jon Gruden’s response/excuse was recent. See, I don’t think he understands what he did in that email,” Bruschi said on Sunday NFL Countdown, via MSN. “When you insult a Black man’s intelligence by demeaning his appearance, that is racist. That is the only way I know it. That is the only way I was raised. That is racist.”
Added Moss: “We’re going into the 21st century, OK? And instead of us moving forward, we’re moving backwards. And I don’t, I really don’t know what percentage of the National Football League is Black, but I know it’s over 50% — 60, 70%, OK? And I know we generate a whole lot of money for this National Football League. And for you to hear Adam Schefter talking about some discipline or some distance from (Raiders owner Mark) Davis, the clock is ticking.
“We are watching to see what the National Football League is going to do about this, because I got to just say it: We’re trying to move forward going into the 21st century with the National Football League. And you’re talking about the kids from 10, 15 years from now that’s going to come into the league. What is this showing them? If they’re coming in to try to keep this National Football League going, generating all this money, and being this good entertainment for our country. Where are we headed? …
“I don’t know where the Raiders move from here, but the clock is ticking for the National Football League and the Las Vegas Raiders.”
What happens next isn’t entirely clear, but the remarks most certainly are crushing Gruden’s reputation around the NFL.
