Tuesday open thread: On Jon Gruden

Oakland Los Angeles Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden was fired resigned last night, after the New York Times published emails Gruden sent filled with homophobic and misogynistic language. This was after other emails surfaced in which Gruden used racist language.

His resignation statement was short and sweet:

"I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone."

Jon Gruden

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 12, 2021

"I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone." Let that phrase linger. He casually tossed around racist, misogynistic, and homophobic slurs—in writing—but never meant to hurt anyone. And I'm sure, even now, he believes that he didn't mean to hurt anyone. Because he didn't consider those slurs to be hurtful, but just part of every day language.

And what's more, the people to whom he wrote those emails also didn't blink an eye at the language he used, because they used it as well, or at least weren't shocked by it. Gruden's views and language didn't spring out of the head of Zeus fully formed, with no influence from outside. The fact that he felt able to so freely express himself using those terms indicates that such language was common and unremarkable among his circle.

Therein lies the problem. The NFL can bleat all it wants about "hate has no place here", it can wear pink for breast cancer awareness, but in the end the culture has been and is now one of swaggering, toxic masculinity, with all that entails. Racism, misogyny, and homophobia are features, not bugs. They permeate the league, from the bench warmers to the ownership. Gruden was the one who got caught, but the fact, again, that his correspondents didn't bat an eyelash at his language indicates that he was far from an outlier.

Sports reflect the broader culture, so it shouldn't surprise us that a white football head coach so cavalierly used vile terms. But the broader culture is also reflected in his tirades being exposed and him suffering consequences. We are in an inflection point, where the old culture of casual slurs is fighting with a new culture where such language is unacceptable. Which culture will win is the struggle of our times. As people of good will, it's our work to make sure that the Grudens of the world are put to pasture.

This is your open thread.