The NFL Responds to Jon Gruden Accusations of ‘Soviet-Style Character Assassination’ On Him

Jon Gruden versus the NFL is the latest lawsuit to grab some headlines.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported earlier today the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is suing the NFL and also its commissioner, Roger Goodell.

Jon Gruden Files Lawsuit Against NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell https://t.co/V89pL7k5lK

— SideAction (@SideActionHQ) November 12, 2021

Gruden’s lawsuit refers to what the NFL did as “a Soviet-style character assassination. This is in reference to how they sat on the emails waiting for the perfect moment to strike, thereby maximizing the damage.

Gruden’s lawsuit refers to it as “a Soviet-style character assassination. There was no warning and no process. Defendants held the emails for months until they were leaked to the national media in the middle of the Raiders’ season … to cause maximum damage to Gruden.”

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2021

“When their initial salvo did not result in Gruden’s firing or resignation, Defendants ratcheted up the pressure by intimating that further documents would become public if Gruden was not fired,” the lawsuit states, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “They followed through with this threat by leaking another batch of documents to the New York Times for an October 11, 2021 article. On October 7, 2021, Jon Gruden was the head coach of the Raiders on a 10-year, $100-million contract. By October 11, 2021, he had been forced to resign.”

The NFL responded to Gruden’s lawsuit:

“The allegations are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims.”

Statement from NFL spokesman @nflprguy on Jon Gruden's lawsuit against the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell: "The allegations are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims.” https://t.co/pQA1RDJuPe

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2021

The NFL definitely doesn’t want all those other emails to come forward.

We’re talking about 650 K emails.

You have to think someone else is going to get thrown under the bus if those emails come to light.

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