The NFL and the Raiders have not yet issued any type of discipline against Jon Gruden for the email sent to former Washington executive Bruce Allen in 2011 containing racist language in relation to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, through executive director Rod Graves, hopes that a fair and appropriate punishment will be imposed.
“The insensitive remarks made by Jon Gruden about DeMaurice Smith are indicative of the racism that exists on many levels of professional sports,” Graves said in a statement issued Sunday morning. “Furthermore, it reveals that the journey for African Americans and other minorities in sports, is riddled with irrepressible mindsets at the highest level. It is our hope that the League and team ownership will address this matter with a remedy commensurate with these painful words. This is yet another inflection point in a society fraught with cynical social blinders, absent of respect for the intellectual capacity and leadership of minorities. When will it end?”
In addition to the email leaked last week from the Washington Football Team investigation, other materials have been located by the league and sent to the Raiders. The contents aren’t clear; we did some reporting on Saturday regarding the issue.
We also looked at the league’s and the team’s options for dealing with Gruden. The final decision may hinge on those other materials. Beyond that, Gruden’s effectiveness moving forward will hinge on the manner in which his players and staff react to him based both as to the email and as to the manner in which he handles it.