Gruden ‘ashamed’ about emails that cost him his job

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden says he is “ashamed” about his old offensive emails that cost him his job and hopes to get another chance in football.

Gruden spoke publicly about the affair at the Little Rock Touchdown Club for the first time since he resigned as coach of the Raiders last October. The resignation followed the publication by The New York Times and Wall Street Journal of emails he had sent from 201118 that contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.

“I'm ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I'll make no excuses for it,” he said. “It's shameful. But I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I've been married for 31 years. I've got three great boys. I still love football. I've made some mistakes. But I don't think anybody in here hasn't. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot.”

Gruden resigned as Raiders coach with more than six years remaining on his 10-year, $100 million contract. Raiders owner Mark Davis said last year that the team reached a settlement with Gruden over the final six-plus years of his contract. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Gruden has filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” was used by the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell to destroy Gruden's career by leaking the old emails.

Lawyers bash Goodell-led arbitration in NFL racial bias suit

NEW YORK – Lawyers for three Black NFL coaches alleging racial bias by the league took aim directly at Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday in their latest arguments against arbitrating a dispute they say belongs before a jury.

In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers wrote that arbitration would allow “unconscionably biased one-sided ‘kangaroo courts'” to decide the outcome of the lawsuit filed in February by Brian Flores, who was fired in January as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He is now an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Two other coaches – Steve Wilks and Ray Horton – later joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs.

Their lawyers said Goodell, who would lead the arbitration if the case is not decided by a jury, could not be fair in overseeing and ruling on the dispute as to whether the league engages in systemic discrimination. They included in their submission articles about Goodell's salary and other personal details.

– Wire reports