Gruden apologizes amid racism controversy

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden said determination were nary racist intentions successful an email helium sent 10 years ago.

The Wall Street Journal archetypal reported that Gruden utilized a radical trope erstwhile referring to NFL Players Association president DeMaurice Smith.

He reportedly described Smith, who is Black, arsenic having "lips the size of michellin [sic] tires."

Gruden said helium ne'er had a racist thought erstwhile sending the email. He said helium was frustrated with the league astatine the time.

"All I tin accidental is I'm not a racist," Gruden said Sunday.

Players look to beryllium lasting with Gruden.

"Us arsenic a team, we're like, 'Yeah, Coach, it was 10 years ago. We emotion you, man. We got your back,'" Carr said, according to ESPN.

Despite Sunday's loss, the players look acceptable to determination connected from the controversy.

"All the guys, we each benignant of talked astir however we felt astir it and however [Gruden] treats the players. He's a players' coach. So, everybody was benignant of similar ... conscionable overanalyzing it. I don't deliberation it's going to impact it, due to the fact that our guys, we're led by each other," ESPN quoted Raiders moving backmost Josh Jacobs.

In summation to the team, Gruden said he's offered an apology to Smith.

"I can't archer you however sick I am. I apologize again to De Smith. But I consciousness bully astir who I am, what I've done my full life. And I apologize for the insensitive remarks I had," Gruden said.