NFL Culture Issues

By Mike Rifkin & Bill Murphy

On Monday night, October 11th, 2021, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned. Gruden was in his fourth season of a ten-year contract. His resignation comes as the New York Times uncovered Emails Gruden had sent using homophobic and misogynistic language. 

Gruden released a statement Monday saying, “ I have resigned as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.” Gruden was in the fourth season of a ten-year contract. He went 22-31 in those three-plus seasons.  The emails were sent to Bruce Allen, the former president of the Washington Football Team, while Gruden worked for ESPN as an analyst on Monday Night Football from 2009 to 2017.  

In one of the emails, Gruden called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “ Faggot” and a “clueless anti-football p***y,” saying Goodell shouldn’t have pressured Jeff Fisher, the then head coach of the Rams, to select “Queers” in reference to Michael Sam who was the first openly gay player ever drafted. This offseason Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders was the first active NFL player to say he was gay. On Wednesday, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said that Nassib had requested a personal day. Nassib told Mayock, “ This is a lot to process.” 

Gruden also sent emails about Demaurice Smith, the NFLPA executive saying, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires.”  Other emails include Gruden saying safety Eric Reid, a player who knelt during the National Anthem, that he should be fired. He criticized many owners, Goodell, coaches, and journalists throughout the league. 

Gruden also sent emails denouncing women as referees. He was also a part of an email chain with Bruce Allen and others that included photos of women only in bikini bottoms, two of which were Washington team cheerleaders. Washington has been dealing with a toxic work environment for years which was revealed in last summer’s report from the Washington Post that 15 former female employees came out with sexual harassment and verbal abuse from 2004-2019. Claims included Richard Mann, the second assistant director of player personnel, asking a woman if her breasts were “real or fake” and that this employee wanted to “squeeze her butt.” Will Hobson, the reporter who broke this story, said, “ The sales staff were encouraged to wear low cut blouses, tight skirts, and heels.” Larry Michaels, the Senior Vice President of the team, asked employees to make a video for owner Daniel Snyder that included partially nude photos of cheerleaders from a 2008 swimsuit calendar. With all of this information, the league decided to fine Washington 10 million dollars. In light of the Gruden situation, the NFLPA is asking the league to release more findings, and the league is not complying.

Both situations are awful looks for the NFL, but this is not just an NFL issue, Raider issue, or a Washington issue. The issue here has now become a cultural issue in our society. The fact that people in power believe they can do or say whatever they want is a problem. We cannot let people degrade others based on their sexual orientation or the color of their skin. Also, we cannot allow men in power to degrade women this way the Washington Football team did. 

The real reason the NFL will not release the findings into the Washington Football team are the owners will not turn on one of their own and because it makes you wonder how many front offices think this way, not just in sports but in companies all across the world. Jon Gruden will never coach in the NFL again, and Bruce Allen will not be back as an executive. What will happen to Daniel Snyder? Pressure is on Roger Goodell to release the findings and see what the court of public opinion says.