After being forced to resign from the Raiders in October, it took Jon Gruden less than two months to file a lawsuit against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.
Gruden, and many others around the league, believe the NFL intentionally leaked his archived emails in an effort to sabotage his career.
In a Las Vegas 920AM radio segment with JT the Brick, Raiders’ play-by-play voice Brent Musburger shared a few noteworthy thoughts on Gruden’s situation:
“As I told Coach, ‘whoever took you out, Jon. That was a paid assassin,” Musburger said he told Gruden. “That was one of the best hit jobs that I’ve ever been around. The didn’t leak this to Adam Schefter or one of those guys who breaks stories. They first went to the Wall Street Journal and when Gruden was still coaching after that, then they dumped the rest of it on the New York Times. That was a professional hit job.”
Musburger also thinks Gruden’s case against the NFL is going to be difficult for his lawyers to prove.
“I’m not completely sure that it was somebody in the NFL,” Musburger continued. “There was a second lawsuit involved between the owner Snyder of Washington and a former general manager. And that means that a lot of outside people had access to those emails they were going through. So I think the hardest part for Gruden’s lawyers to prove is that somebody from the National Football League actually leaked that.”
One detail to Gruden’s departure that was interesting is that the NFL was said to be pressuring Raiders’ owner Mark Davis to discipline Gruden after the first email leak. For whatever reason, the league seemed fixed from the start to see the hammer come down on Gruden.
Also, inquiring minds would still love to know why the NFL is so determined to protect the content of the remaining 649,000 emails…
How is it that none of those emails have leaked yet?
twitter: @raidersbeat
If the league wanted to sabotage Gruden’s jb with Raiders why would they have waited? (league knew about emails since when June, July). Better yet why not when Raiders started 1-0 or 2-0 or 3-0. This happened when Raiders were stinking it up again just losing 2 games horribly. They also could have waited knowing that Raiders first 5 games had them setting records in futility barely scoring anything during 1st half of each of those games and appearing to be on brink of horrible season again. The best thing would be wait until late in season (with team having bad record and again not making play-offs) and all but guaranteeing that Davis felt enough pressure to finally fire Gruden. This would result in bigger hit to Gruden’s ego instead now he has excuse for failing blaming it all on NFL forcing him ut before he could succeed.
I would not be surprised at all if some day far in the future we dont hear stories of how Gruden himself leaked the emails. Gruden knew that Washington Team was being investigated and specifically emails and knowing that he was well aware of email conversations he had and that they would come out. Knowing that and Gruden realizing that his destruction of offensive line and his play-calling this team was starting its late season collapse early. His ego could not allow him to go through another season of his not making play-offs and people finally realizing (as they were beginning to anyway) what I knew entire time that Gruden was nothing more than (at best) a mediocre coach, a crappy GM, and not that good of motivator of men.
By leaking emails Gruden knows that he would have to step down. Think about the things he said after first email was leaked. He basically gave all kinds of reasons why he made those about things he was going through when in reality (after remainder of emails surfaced) Gruden’s horrible lies he gave are made to look just like that. Gruden knew that in order to preserve his ego and fantasy reputation he would have to bow out and make it look like the league was taking revenge for emails about Goodell. Gruden could also receive compensation from Davis and sue the league for money thus getting paid and keeping what he thinks is a reputation as fotball genius and guru.
Think about it – what does this lawsuit against league do for his career? Absolutely NOTHING. He believes he can deceive the Raider Nation Fans (as he has been doing since returning) into believing he is fighting for his honor and defending the Nation against the evil tyranny of the League. The League who has always hated the Raiders and this is just another example of traditional attacks against Franchise. Now Gruden can be defender of Raider Nation and preserve love from the fan base and keep intact this lame stigma of his great football prowess.
I do not know maybe it is just the over-thinker in me as I always look at all the angles and read things that a lot of people fail to see. It is something that I would not surprise me one little bit. I saw Gruden for what he was when lying to everyone about the Mack situation and when media and fans created excuse of mysterious rebuild (something that no longer exists in todays game) that did not begin until Gruden produced horrible results (like 1-8 that first season back) upon return. This all after he publicly promised fans that he was going to win for Oakland fans and that Makc would still be a Raider (as he told all the free agents he brought in upon return thinking his style of getting aged vets making team oldest in league would work). Remember Gruden and Davis told bold face lies regarding Mack with Davis always protecting the person he has man-crush on saying how Gruden wanted Mack but clearly Gruden never wanted Mack and waited until Donalds contract to set the price for Mack trade. Gruden even screwed that deal up (as he did every deal, transaction, trade, signing, game plan, etc…).
I respectfully disagree with everything that you just wrote, but hey, everybody has their own take on it.
I hope and pray that everyone that was trying to hurt John gruden or the RAIDERS are exposed for pieces of **** that they are. I bet that some of the people involved voted for the Harris/Brandon administration
Musburger must have dementia because Gruden was his own assassin. Afterall, WHO wrote the emails? GRUDEN himself. Glad this overrated excuse for a HC is no longer RUNNING the team I’ve cheered for since 1972. I guess Musburger would rather Gruden’s true thoughts remain secret?!
It’s interesting, that everyone is a saint all of sudden after they leak Gruden remarks, like they can throw bricks in a class house especially these punk sport’s announcers.heck every body hv said wrong and done wrong. I’m not saying what Gruden said is right , but as man , back in my day I called my enemies worst names than that which were other men. It’s called anger. As far as women refs , I preferred for it not to happen, not bc they’re not capable, but it’s Testosterone Egos men with filthy mouth on the sideline in the locker rooms, Heck I don’t want woman going to war on a foreign country battlefield does that make me misogynistic. Big lips isn’t a racist statement, I’m of color , people get their lips enhanced these days to big bigger, rubber lips , please stop being so soft. As far as goodell, the fan base doesn’t like this , he’s boooed on draft day , super bowl trophy presentation. He’s a snake. To see Randy moss of people act like he just fell out heaven made me sick. And Adam scheftner is a little weasel he’ll do anything to try to get his story out first look what he did to JPP when he hurt his hand. Had someone in the hospital to steal that mans medical records. This country have TOOO SOFT , men stand up and be men. It’s okay for something’s to be Specifically for women and some thing specifically for men we always have to try to integrate it it don’t fit all the time .
So ‘legally’ the NFL is the soul guardian of it’s property. Any and all properties that are still their assets, for good or bad. They are still the custodian of said property. Also, Gruden doesn’t necessarily have to win the hatchet job claim. He just needs to subpoena ALL 700,000 emails – heck, even ever single email of the NFL in the last 12 years and harvest the thousands of ‘like’ emails that were not brought to light…. they will settle out of court or go down in flames.