Getty Mark Davis with Jon Gruden.
With Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigning due to a slew of emails being leaked that contained offensive language, many have been questioning why team owner Mark Davis hasn’t addressed the media. After the coach resigned, Davis simply put out a statement saying that he accepted the resignation. The only other time he addressed the resignation was when he told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, “Ask the NFL. They have all the answers.”
In a time of crisis, the owner of a franchise is expected to speak out. However, this situation is unique. Davis hasn’t hidden the fact that he was infatuated with Gruden. He was his dream coach. His dream coach was taken away from him and is upset with the NFL for how this all transpired. Regardless, Gruden isn’t coming back and Davis needs to be a strong leader for the franchise. After the Raiders’ 34-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Davis came out and condemned the language used in Gruden’s emails.
“Listen, the Raiders stand for diversity, inclusion and social justice,” Davis said, per Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We always have and we always will. The emails that came out are not what we stand for and so Jon Gruden is no longer head coach. There’s not much more I can say. All the talking heads are making up all sorts of stuff. That’s all it is. We don’t stand for it.”
It’s hard to know for sure which talking heads Davis is referring to. It could be in reference to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who dropped a report on Sunday saying that the owner believes the NFL is “out to get” him. That said, the Raiders have been the biggest talking point in the NFL recently so Davis could be referring to a large number of media personalities.
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Davis Praises Raiders for Win Over Broncos
GettyLas Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.
Against all odds, the Raiders pulled off a win on Sunday over the Broncos. It was a big win over a division rival and easily the best game the team has played this season. Davis was very happy with what he saw from his team on Sunday.
“It was one of the best games I have seen us play in a long time,” Davis said. “I thought it was fantastic. All three phases of the game. My emotions are that I’m excited that we looked good and are moving towards the future.”
Time will tell if that level of play will be sustainable without Gruden. It was clear they were playing with extra fire after the drama-filled week. The Raiders do have a talented squad and can win many more games if they continue to rally behind interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.
Will Davis Look to Start Fresh After the Season?
Once Gruden resigned, speculation was rampant regarding who would be the Raiders’ next head coach. Though the team should be an interesting landing spot for many top candidates this offseason, Bisaccia will certainly get a chance to keep the job long-term.
As noted earlier, Davis loved Gruden’s ability as a coach. The owner could want to just keep running things back with his staff to retain some semblance of how he did things. Whether or not he decides to do that will hinge on this season. If the Raiders make the playoffs, Bisaccia will deserve a chance to coach the team for at least one more season. If the team falters down the stretch and misses the playoffs again, then it could be time to start completely fresh.
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