Former Buccaneers and Raiders coach Jon Gruden has heard (or read . . . hi, Jon!) the criticism regarding his new gig in broadcasting. He’s too positive, they (we) say, possibly because he’s trying to keep all bridges back to the NFL from burning.
Hogwash, Gruden says.
“I’ll be honest with you — I’ve been criticized by some for being too
positive, for loving everybody because I’m trying to get this job or
that job,” Gruden tells Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports. “That’s a crock. I love the game, OK –
and I’m enthusiastic because of it. There are positives about
everybody, and I try to find them.”
So did that search for positivity include his players in Tampa? You know, the ones who said bad things about him after he was fired? (Then again, maybe “scumbag” is now a term of endearment.)
And Gruden surely wasn’t committed to positivity when he said in 2007, “I don’t watch ESPN. I don’t believe half the [expletive] people on that channel, personally — no disrespect.”
“There’s a lot of negativity out there,” Gruden told Silver on Thursday. “Let’s face it — most
articles you read are negative, and the same with most commentary. And
I am truly sorry for not adding to the negativity and for seeing the
bright side of the world here. Because, you know, I think negativity is
what the world needs. They need some more guys to sit up there and
ridicule the Cleveland Browns for four hours.”
But, Jon, it’s one thing to not ridicule the Browns. It’s quite another to act like Brady Quinn reminded you of the second coming of Tom Brady when you went to South Bend to see how Quinn handled wet balls.
True, authentic analysis includes positives and negatives. And when someone with a reputation for wearing a snarled scowl from which “F” bombs fall like raindrops in a monsoon suddenly becomes positive about everyone and everything associated with the game, folks who have a little common sense will realize that something else is going on.
Gruden wants to be able to coach in the NFL again. But he knows that there are only 32 such jobs. With the Raiders and Bucs presumably out of the question, it’s down to 30. And if Gruden were to explain to his new audience the deep and profound flaws he perceives in organizations like the Browns or the Redskins or any other franchise with deep and profound flaws, the 30 will become 29, and then maybe 28.
We respect what Gruden did as a coach, even if he earned his Super Bowl ring in large part on the fumes of Tony Dungy’s efforts. But we think Gruden is being more than a little disingenuous when he suggests that he’s focusing only on the positive because he’s hoping to bring a little sunshine and happiness into our living rooms for three hours per week.
Gruden is being positive because he knows that any other approach will make it harder for him to get that next job.
I also hate that Bill Belichick smiles way too much.
Hey, man, he came out and said that’s not why, but you go ahead and imply he’s a liar and just maneuvering for another shot.
Do you honestly think Oakland’s out of the question? Maybe from Gruden’s point of view, but I imagine they’d take him back in a heartbeat.
“to see how Quinn handled wet balls.”
Someone else make the joke, it’s Friday afternoon and what passes for my humor has evaporated.
Hey Jon,
Come on now – why the hell wouldn’t you want to ridicule and belittle a god-awful team like the Browns??
Signed,
The Oakland Raiders
Gruden will have his pick of coaching jobs when he comes back regardless of what he says in the booth. How can you compare his demeanor as a coach to how he should act as a commentator? They’re completely different roles.
None of you media types know a damn thing anymore….you’ve lost any kind of original thought for ratings. Sensationalism. Drama. Outside the sheep, some people do see that.
And then Gruden tells a little honesty about his thoughts during a broadcast and you, in your jaded cynical way, call him disingenuous.
Wash, rinse and repeat.
Drop the damn “F” bombs and the let the network bleep them out!
I dont think its quite that simple. I think it also comes from the brass at ESPN, who get their orders from the NFL.
Also, they have to face those guys to do interviews, so it seems like every broadcaster is friendly to the coaches.
Lets be honest, the NFL tells the Networks that if they want to be in good standing they have to keep their broadcasters in line, and that includes not criticizing the refs.
That also includes not showing replays of holding calls on kicks and punts. Most of those are mystery calls, and they dont want them to be scrutinized, so they just call holding and no one ever see it again, it never used to be that way.
Keep in mind, on a 30 yard punt return, holding can be as much as a 40 yard penalty, bigger than almost any penalty in the game, yet not replayed on TV?
Stats show, that if you start back inside your own 20, the chances of scoring are incredibly low.
Holding on kicks and punts is literally a game changer, watch this weekend as it is called so many times, and look for any replay or discussion by the broadcasters, you wont find it.
Stupid. Gruden’s a good coach and is doing a good job in the booth. He’s exciting and positive and is a HUGE upgrade over listening to Kornheiser’s Favre-ball-washing for four hours. Give the guy a break.
Who cares? Should he get hired for another coaching gig he’ll be judged on his wins and losses, not whether he’s happy, sad, green or plaid. Right now he’s in the job of entertaining people. Personally I harbor suspicions that he’s completely nuts so the kabuki happy act, if that’s what it is, just adds to the fascination. He could be squired around town on a gilded platform carried by ninja dwarves for all it matters. As long as he wins games and doesn’t, ya know, commit grievous crimes, it’s all good.
i think too much is being made of this. the guy is negative when he coaches and he’s too negative. he’s positive as a broadcaster and he’s too positive.
hey, maybe he can eat the baby bear’s porridge.
Jon,
There are a few of us here in Tampa that miss you. Perhaps Junior Morris has made folks realize, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
@ raybin
There are way too many, and I’m just as spent. If I come up with anything in the future, I’ll give you full credit.
Florio’s clearly still upset about the wet willies and atomic wedgies he received from jocks in high school.
Gruden is at the top of everyone’s wish list, probably even Tampa Bay!
Gruden doesn’t have to kiss anyone’s ass to get a job. He was a great coach and will be again, regardless of how “nice” he is to certain people. So we finally have a guy we want to listen to as a broadcaster, and you pick at him anyway? Pick on a guy that’s annoying and sucks like Dierdorf or something if your that bored.
Leave Gruden Alooooooooooooooone!!!
“Someone else make the joke”
Sorry Raybin, too easy.
This guy is one of the best broadcasters to ever broadcast, I call him the Pillow Biter, he’s so good, he makes people want to bite pillows.
He’s just awesome, just awesome, an awesome commentator in the National Football League.
Gruden is right here. You’re trying to manufacture a rivalry with a major media member.
Quinn’s friends and teammates know just how well he handles wet balls.
Go to hell Florio!!!
Gruden is a class act and a GREAT commentator!! Just cuz hes not like every other talking head on ESPN and PFT, doesnt mean hes is in bead with these other teams
I like Gruden on MNF. Compare to people before him..Kornheiser, Miller…. Him and Jaws just seem to offer the same thing, theres no need for both of them. Anyway Gruden offered up one the greatest “maddenism” ever a few weeks back by saying :
“Ty Law is a football player”end of quote…
wow… I thought I was watching hockey.
Mike-I like your little site here, I really do. And kudos for all the creds you’re getting from other sources. You gotta realize though that your opinion is simply that. Your opinion! That’s not what I come here for although it seems we’re getting more & more of it.
I think in the future on posts such as this you should disclaimer it, you know, like when you disclaimer a “Sponsored Post”.
Just put it right up there in the title “Opinionated Post” and let us choose to read it or not.
@Rev. Dr. HollywoodWags
hahahahahahahahahah
florio = conspiracy theorist
Dear (insert person here),
(insert something witty and clever here, irony works best)
Signed,
(insert person here)
Outline for those of you who want to be hilarious.
I like Gruden as a broadcaster, and would miss him if he went back to coaching. So he’s a little out there. It really is more refreshing than hearing announcers pound on the Browns or the Raiders for several hours straight.
Gruden and Jaworski are to football broadcasting what Rogers and Hammerstein are to football broadcasting. Someone please get them out of the booth.
NBC likes to keep their ballwashing in the family, so to speak, so florio will be washing olbermann’s balls, not gruden’s.
# raybin says: November 20, 2009 3:11 PM
Someone else make the joke, it’s Friday afternoon and what passes for my humor has evaporated.”
Dear Penthouse forum,
You’ll never guess what I saw when I went to this gay bar in Cleveland. None other than Brady Quinn. I won’t go into great detail, but to see how Quinn handled wet balls was nothing short of astonishing. The crowd was awestruck as Quinn…
I love your website but all this Gruden hate is getting old and it seems like you guys are jealous of him. He is a little over the top, but he’s the best ’3rd man’ in the MNF booth I’ve seen in a while. Come on Mike…
Grudan will be Coache of the new UFL Hartford team
Let me start off my saying Florio, you’re an effing moron.
“And Gruden surely wasn’t committed to positivity when he said in 2007, “I don’t watch ESPN. I don’t believe half the [expletive] people on that channel, personally — no disrespect.”"
Gruden says he loves, and is passionate about, football. Now despite whatever self-importance you have attached to yourself and your profession, you guys have absolutely nothing to do with football. You’re just watchers who talk and type opinions about what you see. Gruden was actually a part of the sport we know as football, an actual participant.
So there is absolutely nothing logically wrong with supporting and loving football players, participants in the game, while at the same time not caring what the chattering class of teleprompt readers and general talking a**hats on ESPN are reporting and not even watching the channel at all.
These are not mutually exclusive concepts. It’s very simple.
I think you should have stopped at saying “a good analyst can offer critique.” There are ways to be positive and respectful in the process of offering critique.
Implying there’s something wrong with being positive to make your life in the future easier is ridiculous. Being positive makes life better, and you have to believe that to see it.
Don’t wet yourself Florio, he never mentioned PFT.
I like the new warm and fuzzy Grudinator, he’s a breath of fresh air compared to the normal a$$ clowns we see. Besides, Florio talks enough trash about the players in the League to make up for Gruden being a snugglepuss. When he goes back to coaching then Gru can let Chucky come back to life but until then Jon,
” I Love You Man “
hey flori-hole….you thik Gruden gives a rats a$$ about you saying he is too positive?? come on dude…stop tooting your own horn every day. it shows that you must be paranoid about your lack of ….well……manhood
Florio must have an nbc quota of stories he is required to write. why can’t you report real stories instead of theories you come up with while sitting on your toilet florio? Like you have any idea why Gruden is trying to put forth a positive attitude. I do wish Gruden would flip out and be the angry coach we all love, but I’m not going to sit here like a tool and say its cause he doesn’t wanna make nfl teams mad. If an nfl owner can’t see how angry and tempermental Gruden is they must have never watched him coach a game.
So watch out cause mike “peter king” florio has now boldly reported that Jay Cutler doesn’t care about football, and john gruden is self conscious about what people think of him. florio isn’t always a tool but he is today.
i would like to co-sign iceiam’s comment.
“Gruden doesn’t have to kiss anyone’s ass to get a job. He was a great coach and will be again, regardless of how “nice” he is to certain people. So we finally have a guy we want to listen to as a broadcaster, and you pick at him anyway? Pick on a guy that’s annoying and sucks like Dierdorf or something if your that bored.”
As a buc fan i can tell you, he is way overreated as a coach.
“We respect what Gruden did as a coach, even if he earned his Super Bowl ring in large part on the fumes of Tony Dungy’s efforts.” – Florio
It’s no surprise that you would take that side (the ignorant “fan” perception) of this argument. Gruden brought in key players (Joe Jurvicious, Keenan McCardell, Ricky Dudley, 22 new players in all) to that super bowl team as well as got them past the eagles (something Dungy could never do). By the way, his former team, the Raiders, also went to the Super Bowl that year, so he had done plenty for that team as well. Dungy, even though well respected and admired, is not an elite coach. When he went to Indy, they had the number one QB, WR, and RB in the league and he barely won one Super Bowl.
Dierdorf sucks a$$. he is terrible.
Florio, don’t EVEN try to second guess gruden on anything football related. Including broadcasting. You are not even close.
The fact that he is positive instead of a spoiled little basher like you really drives you nuts, and we get that.
Most of us on here would love the chance to play for this guy.
As for you? Get the water buckets cleaned up nancy.
Gruden has to be positive because he might want a job with one of these teams in the future.
According to Gruden, Peyton Manning is the Sheriff and Brady Quinn is the ball-handler. Maybe Gruden’s just bat-sh*t crazy. But I think he’s great on MNF.
Much better than Collinsworth (on NBC) who offered up (multiple times) a classic gem during the Cowboys-Eagles game a few weeks back, when he kept saying that McNabb’s “back toe” was behind the line of scrimmage before he released the ball.
Team A President: We’ve gone 1-15. Obviously everyone is fired.
Team A Assistant: We could get Gruden. He’s pretty good.
Team A President: Nah, he said we weren’t very good last year.
Likely? Maybe for the Packers.
Being too positive and trying not to step on anyone’s toes? Based on his past history, your logic makes no sense. He didn’t seem too worried about ESPN’s feelings a couple of years ago when he shared his thoughts about them, and look where he’s working now!
Fact is, he could call each of these teams whatever he wants to and they’d still call him up to coach them. He’s a great coach and a fantastic football mind. No amount of praise or criticism will change that.
I don’t care if Gruden drops the F bomb in every sentence.
Lord knows I do when watching my suddenly crummy NY Giants.
Speaking of…can Mara hire Gruden to coach just one game? Replace that stale piece of white bread Coughlin and get the troops fired up.
All of the idiots who constantly grumble about not wanting to hear Florios’ opinion; please refer to your most current dictionary (assuming you know how to use one) and look up the definition of “blog”.
Amen.
I see your point, Florio, about Gruden possibly lobbying for a job. But honestly, I didn’t think his positive commentary was that bad. No worse than Jaws’.
And I’m a Ravens fan. Even I feel sorry for Browns fans–even after years of hearing them crap on the Ravens and telling me Baltimore is hypocritical. You don’t have to be lobbying for a job to lay off of them and look for silver linings.
Your example of Gruden saying he worked out Quinn and Quinn looked good to him simply seemed like an honest way to say it’s surprising just how god-awful he looks now. No different than reminding us that Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning were nearly indistinguishable to scouts.
“But we think Gruden is being more than a little disingenuous”
Dude, talk about disingenuous…..lately most of the sh#t you write is disingenuous. Enough is enough, pointless articles like these need to be looked at by NBC Sports because it has now become irresponsible and reckless journalism.
This is the type of stuff that will ruin this site. If it continues, I will seek my entertainment elsewhere.
I love how when Gruden tells it like it is you spit in his face with your offbase opinion. Dude is 100% correct about ESPN. They are quacks and are way overblown.
Silver should be included in the list of pondscum journalists. And if Chuckie curses too much for your brittle ears, you are pretty much playing the wimp card. So be it, but get off your high horse and realize Gruden is speaking hisind honestly and is spot on.
Great idea by footballrulz.
Categorize actual rumors from actual sources, wild speculation from Florio and his minions, and sponsored posts, so we know what we’re reading before wasting 60 seconds of our life on wild speculation.
“I don’t watch ESPN. I don’t believe half the [expletive] people on that channel, personally — no disrespect.”
Having coached the Raiders and hearing their garbage, that quote doesnt surprise me in the least.
THIS GRUDEN GUY IS ANDY GRIFFIN IN THE BOOTH,he loves the game but no one loves all the players ,ALL THE TIME ,they f up let us know he f’d up
ANDY GRIFFIN THATS FUNNY
There is a big difference between being a player or coach with your competitive juices flowing and being an unbiased sports comm,entator.
Gruden is doing better than I thought he would. I thought he’d be Chucky in the bootjh with a twisted face like a rebellious teenager. He’s been a total class act inm the booth though. Upbeat and full of knowledge.
I agree with Florio – to be an objective analyst, he needs to discuss the negative aspects of teams and players, not just the positives. He sounds like Keith Olbermann covering Obama, which is equally ridiculous for the same reason.
God forbid, somebody that gets paid to watch football actually enjoys it! He should be complaining about every single thing that goes wrong in a game and acting like he knows everything! Where does this guy get off?! I mean he spends the past 15 or so years looking over game film, yelling at grown men, and being crushed with the stress of being responsible for a multi-million dollar team and all of a city’s expectations and now he has the audacity to actually be happy to not have to deal with it and just enjoy seeing the good in any given team? Of all the nerve! Maybe he should just start up a website and make bad jokes about lawyers.
I love the pro-Gruden comments that have been coming forth. They just confirm that viewers know when they see someone who has ACTUAL passion and love for the game. He’s a true football guy, through and through.
Not someone obsessed with the idea of finding the juicy gossip behind the scenes and pretending they know everything about football. Or obsessed with coming up with oh-so-clever one-liners about players and teams, smearing snide remarks over everything. Kind of like Florio, who’s website I definitely do enjoy when he’s not being kind of a d-bag.
Obviously, on this one Florio, you just don’t get it. You’re either trolling for comments/views/traffic or you’re sadly out of touch with the average football fan.
Some people are always digging for the dirt and if they do not find any they make it up as they go.
Facts are that there are a bunch of very talented players playing in the NFL and Gruden gets to watch and comment on many on Monday Night.
You can see how much he truly loves the game. Can you blame him with all he knows of the game when he laughs when he reads or hears some x attorney or dishwasher commenting on something they know almost nothing about.
As for Oakland, Gruden will always be a Raider.
This blog entry was intentionally written to increase webstats.
Because Florio has never taken easy on someone after he hammered him- wait, just like he did with Favre. And of course Florio would never compromise his morals, like by mentioning a sponser without a good reason. He has too much integrity for that.
Florio you cowtow with the best, someone should see if you have had anything bad to say about NBC and confront you with it…
Yeah, Gruden should definitely act more like a snide, sarcastic overly-critical prick. That’s what the sports media is really short on now (P.S. – that was sarcasm … and irony!).
I dunno if I was living in a bubble or something b/c I never read anything about critizing Gruden for being to nice. I did notice it however and thought it was a little odd.
But after hearing his side of things I have so much more respect for him then I already had(which is a lot). There is positives in every player or they wouldnt be in the NFL. He wants to be the 1 voice of reason against the 30 or so other drama queens on his network. I have been asking for this for years. For a guy to go against the normal hate and stereotypes that is dulled out to every team. Half of the things the other football commentators talk about are old stereotypes about a certain player, team, or fanbase without any orginal thought on the subject.
I also thought like you that it was a little hypocritical for him to sign with espn after he said he doesnt watch it, but maybe its not. He isnt doing the samethings as most of the networks employs usaully do. He’s not out there bashing coaches, players, teams, fans like espn loves to do . He is doing the complete opposite as they usually do. Which also makes for great tv. You dont want to listen to an entire group of guys tearing on a team, because thats not entertainment its more like a sermin. Gruden doesn’t just follow the crowd and tear into guys so he can be a part of the team. He shows the other side of the arguement. Which b/c espn is so negative what Gruden usaully has to talk about is the positive.
Also you have to remember what hes like as a coach. He is firey and filled with emotion which alot of the time comes out rageful. So how can you blame him for trying to be positive when he has been so negative for so long.
You have to respect him as a leader and doing things his own way. Also he is the only one out of all the bloggers and tv analysts that is still wanted in the NFL. Is that a coincedence or is it because he forgot more about football then all of the rest of you combined will ever know.
So before you criticize the man for not being a sheep like the rest of you try to think his way and look at the positive. Don’t look at the negative and be so cynical and say” O its just b/c he’s trying to get a job”. Half of the league has there coach set for the next few years. So why be so nice to them? See your theory doesnt make any sense. So give the man respect for being the first one of you to do it his way.
I am so tired of the current national mood of negativism fanned by talk show hosts, that I find Jon Gruden a very fresh breath of air!
Can’t believe there is an actual article about this issue…..very lazy and lame
Slightly OT… but can someone tell me WTF happened to Randy Cross? Dude was great. Haven’t heard him call one game all year and I watch at least four every weekend.
The Raiders Have already talked to Gruden about coming to the raiders in 2010. To all the Raiders fan out there Jon gruden will be coaching the raiders. He will coach the Raiders that’s 100 percent.. Al davis knows what he is doing. If you guys dont belive me watch when the sesion ends.
I stopped watching MNF because of Kornheiser, I started watching again because of Gruden.
Yes I am a fan of Kornheiser & Wilbon on PTI.
PFT would be better if Florio’s POV wasn’t so distorted. He should leave the warped perspective to Cowherd & ESPN Radio.
Hey Florio,
I’d also LOVE to know how Brady Quinn handles wet balls!
Sincerely,
Richard Simmons
Give it a rest already. Its the best MNF threesome we have had in a while. Why does everyone need to hate the third on MNF. Its really not that big of a deal.
Also but for two non coaching related items Gruden might have three rings instead of one on the fumes of Saint Dungy. Let’s not forget the Tuck Rule. And no one ever talks about Tony Siragusa pulling the flop from the top rope a la WWE. (Or WWF Super-Fly Snooka if you are old school.) Which put Gannon out of the game and cost the Raiders. A move that would be a penalty today.
So lighten the hell up and enjoy MNF for once. Of course he wants to keep the door open, and if he was blatantly saying that he did want to keep it open he’d be getting bashed for campaigning for jobs.
P.S. If you can’t tell from my name I hate the flippin Raiders, so for me to stick up for Chucky is really going out on a limb.
“It’s no surprise that you would take that side (the ignorant “fan” perception) of this argument. Gruden brought in key players (Joe Jurvicious, Keenan McCardell, Ricky Dudley, 22 new players in all) to that super bowl team as well as got them past the eagles (something Dungy could never do). By the way, his former team, the Raiders, also went to the Super Bowl that year, so he had done plenty for that team as well. ”
So Dungy has no claim to Gruden’s Super Bowl appearance, but Gruden has one on the Raider’s?
Sounds like a bit of a double standard, doesn’t it?
Florio is way off base! Jon Gruden is fine coach and commentator that exudes his love for the game. Gruden is on his best behavior because of the audience watching Monday Night Football. The coach isn’t on the sidelines dealing with the daily frustrations that are part of the job.
Sorry Florio. We aren’t that stupid.
GO STEELERS!
Nice hit job Florio. Even managed to get in the old and tired “Gruden won with Dungy’s team” argument. Here’s something to consider: maybe Gruden is positive because that is what Bristol wants from him. That is Gruden, notwithstanding your hashing up comments from former disgrunteled players.
Either way major upgrade on monday nights atleast he knows what he is talking about.Unlike some Iam sure i dont have to metion….
@ brauneyz :
Randy Cross is still with CBS & teamed with Don Criqui this year…isnt getting many of the plum games if tomorrow is an indication…
they are doing Browns/Lions