Raiders head coach Jon Gruden says that in addition to using racist language to disparage DeMaurice Smith, he also used vulgar language to insult NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the recently resurfaced emails that sparked controversy, earlier this week.
"I was in a bad frame of mind at the time [in 2011], and I called Roger Goodell a [expletive] in one of these emails too," Gruden told ESPN on Friday.
Gruden blamed his anger on the NFL lockout being held at the time, as well as the advances in scientific knowledge that confirm the dangers of youth football, which were becoming discussed in the mainstream at the time.
"They were keeping players and coaches from doing what they love with a lockout," he explained. "There also were a lot of things being reported publicly about the safety of the sport that I love. I was on a mission with high school football [in the Tampa, Florida, area] during that time, and there were a lot of parents who were scared about letting their kids play football. It just didn't sit well with me."
The emails were provided by the NFL to the Las Vegas Raiders, earlier this week, after being flagged by a league official.
[Via]
