Jon Gruden had to go.

At a time when messages such as B次元官网网址淚t Takes All of UsB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淓nd RacismB次元官网网址� are stenciled into every end zone in the league, when women have joined the ranks of front offices, coaching staffs and officiating crews and a player on his own team came out as gay, GrudenB次元官网网址檚 emails revealing racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments were antithetical to the modern NFL.

on Monday night, releasing a statement that said, B次元官网网址淚 love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. IB次元官网网址檓 sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.B次元官网网址�

His departure was the only acceptable resolution to this quagmire of his own creation because the NFL has made too much progress of late for Gruden to keep his job and roll back that evolution, suggested ESPN football analyst Booger McFarland.

B次元官网网址淭his is something that had to happen,B次元官网网址� McFarland said. B次元官网网址淭his is something he couldnB次元官网网址檛 deny. This is in emails where youB次元官网网址檙e going against what the NFL is trying to do. The players have stickers on their helmets and they have phrases in the end zone: B次元官网网址楨nd Racism. Stop Hate. It Takes All of Us. Inspire Change.B次元官网网址� So, weB次元官网网址檙e trying to get rid of the very things that Jon Gruden is promoting through his personal emails.B次元官网网址�

GrudenB次元官网网址檚 rapid downfall began Friday when The Wall Street Journal reported that Gruden used a racist term to describe NFL union chief DeMaurice Smith, whoB次元官网网址檚 Black, in a 2011 email to former Washington executive Bruce Allen.

If it had ended there, Gruden might have survived.

Following the RaidersB次元官网网址� 20-9 loss to Chicago on Sunday, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said he was among many players who were shocked to hear about GrudenB次元官网网址檚 racist remark but made clear his coach had his support.

Carr said Gruden addressed the issue and gave his side of the story in a team meeting the morning before that story broke: B次元官网网址淗e was honest. He was up-front with it, and us as a team were like, B次元官网网址榊eah, coach, it was 10 years ago. We love you, man. WeB次元官网网址檝e got your back.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Gruden insisted Sunday that he wasnB次元官网网址檛 racist, revealed he was sickened by the controversy heB次元官网网址檇 created and again apologized to Smith.

B次元官网网址淏ut I feel good about who I am and what IB次元官网网址檝e done my entire life,B次元官网网址� Gruden stressed, adding he hadnB次元官网网址檛 been contacted by the NFL about his racist remark but B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檒l see what happens here in the next few days.B次元官网网址�

What happened was another bombshell: The New York Times reported late Monday that GrudenB次元官网网址檚 transgressions werenB次元官网网址檛 limited to a single racist comment but that he frequently used misogynistic and homophobic language directed at Commissioner Roger Goodell and others in the league.

A league source confirmed the accuracy of the emails and said they were sent to the Raiders last week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league hasnB次元官网网址檛 made the emails public.

The report, which came out during the B次元官网网址淢onday Night FootballB次元官网网址� telecast where Gruden burnished his chops as an NFL icon between coaching stints, showed Gruden denouncing the drafting of a gay player and the tolerance of players protesting racial injustice and police misconduct during the playing of the national anthem.

The emails also reveal him using a gay slur to insult Goodell and saying the commissioner shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have pressured the Rams to draft B次元官网网址渜ueers,B次元官网网址� a reference to Michael Sam, who was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team.

Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay in June and is the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL game.

In a 2017 email, the Times said Gruden responded to a sexist meme of a female official by saying: B次元官网网址淣ice job roger.B次元官网网址� The paper also said Gruden criticized Goodell and the NFL for trying to reduce concussions, said that Eric Reid, a player who had demonstrated during the playing of the national anthem, should be fired, and mocked an article in 2017 about players calling on Goodell to support their efforts promoting racial equality and criminal justice reform.

ItB次元官网网址檚 long been part of the job description for NFL head coaches to manage the fallout when a player says or does something stupid. Inevitably, a boneheaded decision off the field will create waves, headlines and maybe even the dreaded distraction for a team.

That makes crisis management as much a part of the head coachB次元官网网址檚 duties as creating game plans for the upcoming opponent.

Thanks to Gruden and , those roles have been reversed in 2021.

The winless Jacksonville Jaguars had to come to MeyerB次元官网网址檚 defense after their gaffe-prone rookie head coach skipped their flight home from Cincinnati earlier this month and was captured on camera partying like a college kid with embarrassing video clips quickly spreading on social media.

That led Meyer to apologize on three consecutive days for his B次元官网网址渋nexcusableB次元官网网址� behavior at an Ohio bar two weekends ago. He said several veteran players expressed their support as he tries to make amends: B次元官网网址淚 had at least eight to 10 phone calls where they called me and they were over-the-top supportive and said, B次元官网网址榃e got you, man. Move forward.B次元官网网址� A common thing was, B次元官网网址楥oach, we all did stupid things.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

MeyerB次元官网网址檚 mess pales in comparison to GrudenB次元官网网址檚 imbroglio, which erupted into a split with the Raiders 24 hours after his players vouched for their head coach.

While Meyer, an NFL newcomer, hasnB次元官网网址檛 received much in the way of public support from former pro players and coaches, several people lined up in support of Gruden with endorsements that came well before the the scope of his misdeeds was revealed.

NBC analyst Tony Dungy said heB次元官网网址檇 never heard of an NFL head coach skipping out on the flight home with his team like Meyer did. For Gruden, he offered harsh words but also grace.

B次元官网网址淲hat Jon Gruden did in that email: definitely insensitive, definitely inappropriate, definitely immature. I thought he attacked the character of a man,B次元官网网址� Dungy said during the Bills-Chiefs rain delay Sunday night. B次元官网网址淏ut he apologized for it. He said it wasnB次元官网网址檛 racially motivated. I have to believe him. This was an incident that was 10 years ago. He apologized and I think we have to accept that apology and move on.B次元官网网址�

Instead, the league is moving on without Gruden.

B次元官网网址擜rnie Stapleton, The Associated Press