DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA executive director, revealed on Monday night that Raiders head coach Jon Gruden reached out to him following reports of Gruden’s email controversy.
The NFL’s investigation of workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Team examined over 650,000 emails. Among them included an email from Gruden, who was then an ESPN commentator, to Washington GM Bruce Allen. In the email, Gruden called DeMaurice “Dumboriss” and said his lips are the “size of michellin tires,” according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Smith responded to the email reports via Twitter on Monday night. In doing so, he revealed that Gruden reached out to him after the email surfaced.
“I appreciate that he reached out to me & I told him that we will connect soon, but make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account,” Smith said.
You can find Smith’s full thread below.
The email has also revealed why the comments by some with powerful platforms to explain this away are insidious and hypocritical. It is as if there is a need to protect football above the values of equality, inclusion and respect.
— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 11, 2021
I appreciate that he reached out to me & I told him that we will connect soon, but make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account
— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 11, 2021
The Las Vegas Raiders have yet to take action regarding Jon Gruden’s use of a racial trope when describing DeMaurice Smith.
The NFL sent additional emails containing disparaging remarks to the Raiders on Monday evening. It’s unclear what the nature of those emails contain.
The NFL has left it in the hands of the Raiders to decide how to move forward with Gruden. But the league may take action if Vegas remains quiet.
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