Former NFL coach Jon Gruden has been given a second chance by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at least so far as entering their Ring of Honor goes. Gruden was previously enshrined into the Ring of Honor for his on-field accomplishments, but later removed in 2021 for racist, misogynistic, and anti-gay comments found in leaked email. This week, however, Tampa Bay did a reverse-course and re-admitted Gruden to the Ring of Honor, prompting folks to wonder what changed? No reports have come out suggesting Gruden did not say the things he was accused of saying, nor has he completed mandatory sensitivity training, or illustrated his remorse with evidence that he has learned from the email in question. To each their own with respect o whether you think Gruden should have faced consequences for his previous remarks, and regardless of where you stand to simply wonder “what changed?” is a very fair question.
What Gruden was accused of…
Jon Gruden’s emails, which surfaced in 2021 during an investigation into the Washington Football Team’s workplace misconduct, contained offensive language that led to his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The emails, sent between 2011 and 2018, included:
- Racist remarks – Gruden used a racial trope to describe NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, saying he had “lips the size of Michelin tires.”
- Homophobic language – He used anti-gay slurs and criticized the NFL for drafting openly gay player Michael Sam.
- Misogynistic comments – He made derogatory remarks about female referees and expressed disapproval of women working in the league.
- Anti-player activism – He criticized players who kneeled during the national anthem and mocked efforts to promote diversity in hiring.
- Offensive language about NFL leadership – He used explicit and critical language to insult then-NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, calling him a homophobic slur and blaming him for pressuring teams to draft “queers.”
Since Gruden has not refuted the claims above, does this now mean that racism, misogyny, and anti-gay slurs are now just a normal way of business for the NFL? Some people will no doubt argue that Gruden’s words were never offensive in the first place, and of course people have the right to feel as they like. But for Tampa Bay the question is more intriguing, and puzzling. The organization just did a 180 a mere 4 years after they found his words so offensive that they removed his presence from the Ring of Honor, even though Gruden hasn’t disputed the comments — nor done much to improve his public persona since then. So is racism and other forms of discrimination, including general bullying, now cool and acceptable?
Final thoughts
You can feel however you want about Jon Gruden and his previous comments, my only question today centers around what has changed in just 4 years where he went from being so toxic he had to be removed from the Ring of Honor, to today where the same guy who said the same things is being honored again? Tampa Bay has made their decision, and now it will be interesting to see how other teams — and the NFL headquarters — responds to the reversal on Gruden. Will anyone speak out, or is this the start of the “new normal” when it comes to NFL standards, tolerance, and the ways in which the league represents itself?
drstankovich.com
