The Before And After Effects Of The Gruden/Raiders Conundrum
The 2021 NFL season has had it all, both positive and sadly, negative episodes. Yes, we’re talking about you Jon Gruden. Now, we could talk about which teams have been looking like the best fits for Las Vegas NFL odds experts, maybe talk about which coaches are sitting on the edge of being handed their walking papers, or even which players are making a strong case to be considered early MVP candidates. But no, we can leave that for another day. For now, let’s focus on what surely has been the most surprising talking point, at least from a social perspective that this new NFL season has given football fans around the world, the Jon Gruden email scandal.
What was of the Las Vegas Raiders before the scandal, and what awaits the team as they continue to move forward, trying to forget this dreadful episode in their history? Let’s take a look.
The 2021 Season Started Out Amazing For The Raiders
It’s 2021 and yet here we are talking about how social justice warriors, virtue signaling from keyboard commandos, and cancel culture are still ruining the way in which we live our day to day lives. In the NFL, while there have been scattered episodes of cancel culture, the league has usually been quick to acknowledge it but focus on the sport. But sadly, what happened this season with former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, goes to prove that to this day, the battle against social justice warriors, virtue signaling and cancel culture is still far from over.
Gruden, who was in the third year of his famous 10-year, 100-million-dollar deal as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders was looking like he was finally ready to make the Raiders a championship contending team. He was able to revive Raiders QB Derek Carr’s career, he managed to form a roster full of a perfect mix of seasoned veterans and up and coming young football stars and he did this all while the team moved from Oakland to Las Vegas. Gruden had everything going for him, especially after Las Vegas started the season undefeated and they were being touted as one of the most exciting teams in the league. But then safe space mob lynched him.
Then The Emails Came
Earlier in October, emails that Gruden had sent the former Washington Football Team general manager Bruce Allen from 2011 all the way to 2018 where he used a plethora of comments that triggered some people as well as showcasing behaviors within those same traits, surfaced. The emails, which were found after the NFL had an investigation over workplace misconduct complaints on Washington’s team be put into place, brought Gruden’s career to a screeching halt, with him resigning from his post as Raiders coach days after the emails were found and released. This brought the Raiders team to fall into a spiral of disbelief, disappointment and confusion, especially since the architect of their amazing start of the season was now gone because his choice of words offended some professional victims.
It goes without saying that as soon as all the information surfaced, both the team and the league, as well as Gruden’s former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who he helped lead to a Super Bowl victory in 2002 all were quick to part ways with anything regarding themselves and the Hall of Fame coach. As of recently, Gruden was also vanished from Madden 22. Cancel culture knows no limits and no one is safe.
New Look Raiders
After the whole Gruden email incident died down, it was time for the Las Vegas Raiders to pick up where they left off and try to continue to make the 2021 season, one where still being taken as a contender for a significant playoff run is in the horizon. The first move made by the Raiders, and one which has proven to be very positive and rewarding for everyone involved, is the promotion of former assistant coach Rich Bisaccia to interim head coach.
Bisaccia, who is a veteran of the football sidelines, both in college and in the pros, is one of the most respected assistants in the league, and his promotion to interim head coach of the Raiders feels like the perfect dose of good news and feels that the Las Vegas team were in dire needs of getting. With Bisaccia in charge, the Raiders bounced back from a two-game losing streak to win their next two and still hold first place of their division, with rivals like the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos all trailing behind. What’s left here is for the Raiders to continue shaping up to be a postseason contender and if all goes well, Bisaccia staying with the Raiders head coaching job permanently.
