The last few days in the NFL have been a whirlwind of sorts.
It all began when the NFL, while conducting an independent investigation on the Washington Football Team’s toxic culture, somehow stumbled upon an email sent by Jon Gruden to former Washington front office dude Bruce Allen. Gruden made racist remarks about NFLPA DeMaurice Smith’s lip size and lack of intelligence.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, MORE emails from Gruden came out about his disdain for women in NFL’s leadership, knocking the NFL for forcing the then-St. Louis Rams to draft Michael Sam – whom he called a “queer” – and calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a derogatory term (I despise Goodevil as well, but damn!). And there’s more out there!
So if we’re keeping score, Gruden managed to offend blacks, the LGBTQIA community, women, and from what I understand Native Americans in emails sent in about a 10-year span (from 2010 to 2018).
We all know this was focused on one team, but whose to say with Gruden’s connections that MORE teams would be on board with his thinking? This may be the tip of a big-ass iceberg.
Sensing that, the NFLPA is now demanding the NFL make more of those emails public because the players (and most fans) want to know if those emails speak to the NFL’s culture.
Did other NFL coaches and front office workers cosign with Gruden? Did it go all the way up to the owners?
Imagine if the majority of the owners and front office folks agreed with Gruden, that they did not have a problem with the racist, sexist and homophobic remarks made in those emails? Do you think the majority of the players would feel a bit uneasy playing for them?
And how about the coaches? How many coaches of color or women would wonder if that segment of NFL culture would have anything to do with getting passed over?
I think the powers the be in the NFL know that releasing more emails would create a shitstorm that would be hard to put out. It’s gonna be an interesting few days (or weeks) in the NFL, for sure.
Categories: NFL
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