The Jon Gruden era in Las Vegas ended on Monday evening. On Monday evening, Gruden issued a statement informing players, fans and colleagues that he would resign from his position as head coach immediately.
"I have resigned as 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 said in a statement obtained by CBS Sports.
Gruden's resignation was triggered by several racist, misogynistic and homophobic remarks that he has made in the past. Last week, the Wall Street Journal uncovered an email in which he compared the lips of NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith to Michelin tires. Days after the Wall Street Journal report surfaced, the New York Times uncovered emails in which Gruden made several other vile and disrespectful comments.
Within several emails, Gruden denounced women working as referees in the NFL, denigrated a team's decision to draft a gay player, called Roger Goodell a homophobic slur and said a player should be fired for protesting police brutality. To top it all off, he made several remarks pushing against player safety. Shortly after the second round of emails were shared and Gruden resigned, the Raiders also issued a statement.
Gruden's resignation and the team's statement quickly became the talk of the town in the world of sports. Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, Super Bowl Champion Torrey Smith and several others have offered their thoughts on the matter.
“I’m just saddened by it. I’m saddened for the Raiders organization. I’m saddened for the people that were offended by it. I’m saddened for Coach Gruden. It’s a sad commentary," Tomlin told reporters.
"Jon Gruden’s emails are further & final proof for the necessity of minority voices in positions of power," Emmanuel Acho of FOX Sports tweeted.
With Gruden gone, the Raiders will look for a replacement. In the meantime, Raiders Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia will step in as the interim head coach.
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