Tirico saddened; Johnson is spiking the ball
Reactions vary to Gruden’s troubles
NBC’s Mike Tirico, who was Jon Gruden’s partner for seven years on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” expressed disappointment with Gruden’s behavior after more emails came out on Monday showing a repeated pattern of racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.
Gruden stepped down as Las Vegas Raiders coach Monday night after The New York Times reported that Gruden frequently used misogynistic and homophobic language directed at Commissioner Roger Goodell and others in the NFL.
Tirico said on NBC’s “Football Night in America” on Sunday that he had not seen or experienced anything with Gruden that was racist in any way.
“The comments made Sunday on `Football Night in America’ were specific to Jon Gruden’s email related to DeMaurice Smith and addressed my personal experiences with Jon regarding any racist actions or behaviors. As I said on air, his ’comments are wrong’,” Tirico said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “The content and nature of the subsequently released emails is deplorable, disappointing and express sentiments that have no place in our society.”
Tirico worked with Gruden from 2009 through 2015. Gruden remained with ESPN until he was hired by the Raiders in 2018.
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy also said on Sunday’s show he didn’t think Gruden’s emails about Smith had racial undertones but that it was an inappropriate attack on a man’s character. Dungy said on social media Monday night after more emails came out that the Raiders did the appropriate thing in moving on from Gruden.
“That being said, if Jon Gruden shows TRUE remorse-and more importantly changes his mindset and actions-I would forgive him,” Dungy said on Twitter. “As Christians that’s what the Bible commands us to do because that’s what God does for us. I know that’s not popular, but it’s biblical.”
Dungy was fired as Tampa Bay’s coach after the 2001 season and was replaced by Gruden. More Gruden reaction:
■ Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had little to say Tuesday on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan when asked if Gruden should have lost his job.
“I don’t have anything I would want to express one way or the other,” said Jones. “From the standpoint of contribution, I know we all are accountable to even a, if you will, fleeting or minor part of our actions. We all are accountable to those. That’s about all I want to comment on that.”
■ On the other hand, Keyshawn Johnson was ready. His victory lap started on the radio, where he hosts “Keyshawn, JWill & Max” with former NBA player Jay Williams and Max Kellerman.
“This dude is a fraud,” Johnson said on ESPN Tuesday morning. “He’s selling you on something and you’re buying it. He’s been doing that for years, whether it’s ‘he’s an excellent quarterback coach’. … Talking behind people’s backs, that was one of his traits in Tampa.”
(Gruden played up his QB expertise in various ESPN specials when he worked at the network.)
“He’s always been a fraud to me,” Johnson, the wide receiver the Jets took with the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft, said. “From Day 1, he’s been a used car salesman. People bought it because he inherited a championship team built by Tony Dungy and Rich McKay.”
The Raiders traded Gruden to Tampa before the 2002 season after Dungy was fired, when Johnson and the Bucs would go on to win a Super Bowl. “He came in there with a little bit different energy than we had with Tony, and it kind of kicked us over the top for our world championship, which I am grateful for. But at the same time, I also saw through who he was on that journey.”
■ Steelers coach Mike Tomlin coached for four years under Jon Gruden. He won a Super Bowl with him following the 2002 season and credits Gruden for helping him grow as a young assistant coach.
“I’m just saddened by it,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I’m saddened for the Raiders organization. I’m saddened for the people who were offended by it. I’m saddened for coach Gruden. It’s a sad commentary. That’s the only opinion I care to share at this juncture.”
COWBOYS: A federal judge has denied a request by Dallas offensive lineman La’el Collins for an injunction that would have halted his five-game suspension with one game remaining.
U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant suggested in his ruling issued Tuesday that the NFL suspended Collins in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union. However, Mazzant ruled the arbitrator’s decision in Collins’ appeal was based on a “reasonable construction of the parties’ agreements.”
The ruling means Collins won’t be eligible to play Sunday at New England. The seventh-year player can return to the team next week, when the Cowboys are idle. Collins can play again in Week 8 at Minnesota.
Collins sued the NFL, its management council and Commissioner Roger Goodell last week. The lawsuit said Collins was suspended when the new labor agreement signed in 2020 no longer allowed for suspensions over missed tests or positive marijuana tests. The league countered by saying Collins had a “long history of discipline for repeated violations.”
COVID: Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones has been put on NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday because of a positive test, the Associated Press reports.
The development means Jones could miss the Cardinals’ upcoming game on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. The 31-yearold Jones is one of the league’s elite pass rushers and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a five-sack performance in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.
CHIEFS: Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who suffered an MCL sprain in Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, was placed on injured reserve, the Chiefs announced Tuesday. By placing the second-year pro on injured reserve, the Chiefs give Edwards-Helaire time to fully recover and themselves time to evaluate his progress.