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The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to one of their best starts in years, but after controversial emails sent by head coach Jon Gruden surfaced this week, nobody seems to be talking about the team's success on the field.
The emails were sent by Gruden during the 2011 NFL lockout while he was still working for ESPN as the co-host of "Monday Night Football." Gruden's language was in reference to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. Gruden was apparently upset with the owners in the NFL along with the lockout of players and sent the email to then-President of the Washington Football Team Bruce Allen. Gruden and Allen worked together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis released a statement on Saturday evening saying he was 'disturbed' by the racially insensitive language that Jon Gruden used in the emails and that he was addressing the situation.
Sunday morning, it was a common topic on the NFL pre-game shows, and NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss expressed his feelings about the email.
Randy Moss gets emotional talking about Gruden email controversy
Randy Moss, who played for the Raiders but not during either of Gruden's tenures with the team, was emotional talking about the situation on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown." Moss said that he was 'hurt' by the situation and that he was surprised and disappointed that Gruden would behave in such a manner. Moss stated:
“I’m very hurt by what I’m hearing coming from a guy like Jon Gruden where he’s done so much for the game of football.”
Moss went on to say, through tears, that not only does he expect more from those that play, coach and are involved in the NFL but from everyone outside of the sports world as well. Moss said that in 2021, this type of language and overall racist behavior shouldn't be happening and yet it seems that it is an issue every single day.
Moss' fellow co-host Matt Hasselbeck said that he didn't support the type of behavior or language that Gruden displayed, whether it happened in the present or the past.
“I can’t respect this. I can’t respect this in 2011, I can’t respect this in 2021.”
Moss' other co-host Tedy Bruschi also had harsh words for Gruden, saying:
“This may have been 10 years ago, OK, but Jon Gruden’s response slash excuse was recent. See, I don’t think he understands what he did in that email,” Bruschi said on Sunday NFL Countdown. “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.”
It remains to be seen if the NFL and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis will issue any type of punishment toward Jon Gruden for his behavior.
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