Just Lose Baby

Al Davis would be rolling over in his grave.

On the anniversary of football pioneer, Raiders owner and founder, and former AFL commissioner Al Davis’ death, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was at the center of a media firestorm. While investigating the Washington Redskins and their various toxic workplace complaints, emails began to leak of Gruden using very unsavory language towards current head of the NFL Player’s Association DeMaurice Smith. And after further emails continued to leak as part of the New York Times’ investigation, Gruden and the Raiders have decided to part ways.

Gruden was in his second stint as the head coach of the Raiders. His first stint ended after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. Gruden cemented his legacy that very next season by taking the team that NFL lifer and “company man” Tony Dungy had built, known for its tenacious “Tampa 2” defense, and making them Super Bowl Champions after defeating none other than the Raiders. In fact, several members of the Buccaneers defense admitted that Gruden told them the audibles and play calls that the Raiders would be using in the game, and to their surprise Gruden wasn’t lying. Several members of the Raiders knew what was going to happen playing against Gruden, and one of them, Pro Bowl offensive lineman Barret Robbins, went AWOL the day before the Super Bowl and was suspended for the game. This made the Buccaneers job even easier, but I’ve digressed.

Gruden returned to the Raiders in 2016 after a six-year courtship by Davis’ son and current owner Mark Davis. Davis, an adult man worth $500M who voluntarily wears a bowl cut and drives a 1997 Dodge Caravan, had been trying to woo Gruden back to the Raiders as soon as his father had died and he assumed control over the franchise. Gruden was given a ten-year $100M contract by Davis, even though his biggest career success up to that point had come against the Raiders.

Gruden wasn’t fired for starting this season 3–2 after two dismal showings in recent weeks. He wasn’t fired for assembling a patchwork offensive line that has not been able to establish a run game. Gruden, four years into that mega contract, wasn’t fired after finishing 8–8 last season with a historically bad defense, or never finishing above .500 in any season he was at the helm. In fact, the Raiders have been so bad ESPN named them as the worst defense of the entire 2010’s decade.

Instead, Gruden was fired after those additional emails were leaked. Despite all of the email correspondence tied to the Redskins and their toxic workplace being sealed in a nuclear sarcophagus and the NFL not requesting a written report for fear of what might be leaked to the public, all of the conversations dealing with Gruden were leaked to the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. I’ll post the actual New York Times article here for those interested, but Gruden has essentially said every misogynistic, racist, sexist and homophobic thing one could imagine in those emails. And the decision was made for Gruden and the Raiders to part ways in an attempt to limit the distractions that this would cause the league and the organization.

I’m confused as to how Dan Snyder and the Redskins organization were able to emerge unscathed but Gruden, who wasn’t even a part of the investigation, wasn’t. I’m confused as to why Gruden was rehired by the Raiders, or given such a lengthy and lucrative contract in the first place. I’m confused as to how the NFL reacts so swiftly in some instances, such as this and the workplace investigation surrounding Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, but drags its feet for others, such as DeflateGate and BountyGate. I’m confused in regards to the timing of the leaked emails, which coincided with the vote of confidence regarding NFLPA chief Smith. I’m confused as to how the NFL can continue to not only exist but grow in popularity despite everything we know about brain trauma. And last but certainly not least, I’m confused about whether I should continue to support the Raiders.

I think I’m a football fan free agent once again.

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