INSIDER
NFL combine a TV spectacle, moneymaker; value under scrutiny
Read full article: NFL combine a TV spectacle, moneymaker; value under scrutinyThe NFL combine is winding down and itโs clear the annual scouting event thatโs evolved into a made-for-TV spectacle continues to be a required stop on the road to a pro football career amid concerns it can be a demeaning process with diminishing value.
NFL to appeal ruling in Gruden lawsuit over leaked emails
Read full article: NFL to appeal ruling in Gruden lawsuit over leaked emailsThe NFL says it will appeal a ruling denying the leagueโs request to move former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Grudenโs lawsuit over leaked emails from a public courtroom into closed-door arbitration.
NFL asks Nevada court to dismiss lawsuit from Jon Gruden
Read full article: NFL asks Nevada court to dismiss lawsuit from Jon GrudenThe NFL filed a motion asking a Nevada court to dismiss former Raiders coach Jon Grudenโs lawsuit against the league, saying the accusations that the the NFL leaked Grudenโs old, offensive emails are โbaselessโ and โshould be dismissed for failure to state a single viable cause of action.โ.
Gruden sues NFL over publication of his offensive emails
Read full article: Gruden sues NFL over publication of his offensive emailsFormer Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden has sued Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL, alleging that a โmalicious and orchestrated campaignโ was used to destroy Grudenโs career by leaking old emails he had sent that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments.
Now question in NFL is: Does Gruden reflect broader culture?
Read full article: Now question in NFL is: Does Gruden reflect broader culture?Current and former NFL players and others who work in the league have varying opinions whether the attitudes expressed by Jon Gruden in emails over several years are pervasive throughout the sport these days.
Fallout continues from Gruden resignation over emails
Read full article: Fallout continues from Gruden resignation over emailsThe NFL is not planning to make public any of the hundreds of thousands of emails it obtained as part of an investigation of the Washington Football Team, some of which led to the resignation of Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden.
NBC's Tirico expresses disappointment in Gruden's behavior
Read full article: NBC's Tirico expresses disappointment in Gruden's behaviorNBCโs Mike Tirico, who was Jon Grudenโs partner for seven years on ESPNโs โMonday Night Football,โ expressed disappointment with Grudenโs behavior after more emails came out on Monday showing a repeated pattern of racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.
Jon Gruden again says he's not a racist after Raiders loss
Read full article: Jon Gruden again says he's not a racist after Raiders lossJon Gruden again said he is not a racist after his Las Vegas Raiders lost their first game since the revelation of the head coachโs 2011 remark about playersโ union leader DeMaurice Smith.
Reported racist comment from Jon Gruden draws NFL rebuke
Read full article: Reported racist comment from Jon Gruden draws NFL rebukeA report that Jon Gruden used a racist comment about NFL Players Association leader DeMaurice Smith in an email 10 years ago drew a strong and quick rebuke Friday from the NFL.
NFL players call for virtual offseason, shun in-person work
Read full article: NFL players call for virtual offseason, shun in-person workMembers of the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become the first to say they won't participate in their team's in-person voluntary offseason programs.
Somehow, the NFL pulled off playing every game in a pandemic
Read full article: Somehow, the NFL pulled off playing every game in a pandemicTAMPA, Fla. โ Playing a contact sport in the middle of a pandemic seemed unthinkable to everyone except the NFL when the novel coronavirus shut down the country in March. The league played 256 games in the regular season without any cancellations and made it through the playoffs to get here. โThereโs so many people that had to work together to get this done,โ NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday. Though stadiums were empty most of the season, 1.2 million fans attended NFL games when they were allowed. โThey need to be smart.โJust as it seems the NFL was for much of the last five months.
NFL players continue fighting for social justice, diversity
Read full article: NFL players continue fighting for social justice, diversityTAMPA, Fla. โ NFL players and their union want the league to continue fighting for social justice and theyโre still seeking an increase in the number of minority coaches. Two minorities were hired for seven head coach openings this offseason. There were three Black head coaches when the Rooney Rule was adopted in 2003 and there are three now, despite several changes to the rule to help promote more opportunities. Goodell said having two minority coaches hired this year wasnโt what they expected and not what they expect moving forward. โIt does frustrate players, especially African American players, because we see ourselves as potential leaders within the NFL community,โ Woodyard said.
More interviews didnโt equal more minority hirings in NFL
Read full article: More interviews didnโt equal more minority hirings in NFL(AP Photo)The NFL expanded the Rooney Rule to give more minority candidates opportunities to become a head coach and reward teams who develop them. The Houston Texans hired David Culley this week, making the 65-year-old longtime assistant the leagueโs third Black head coach hired. Culley and Saleh join Pittsburghโs Mike Tomlin, Miamiโs Brian Flores and Washingtonโs Ron Rivera as the leagueโs only minority head coaches. โWe didnโt make as much progress on the head coaching side as we would have liked,โ Rooney said. AdPerhaps an increase in minority executives will lead to more minority head coaches.
NFL's revenue dip in pandemic significant, but not crippling
Read full article: NFL's revenue dip in pandemic significant, but not cripplingThe dip in revenue for the NFL during the pandemic has been substantial but not crippling. โNone of us are going to be surprised that thereโs going to be a significant drop-off from overall revenue,โ union executive director DeMaurice Smith said. โNobody is going to cry for teams that are worth an average of $2 billion,โ Ganis said. And no oneโs going to cry for players who are going to get reductions in salaries over the next two or three years. โBoth the league and the players association recognize that there was something going on much bigger than their own interests.
NFL won't be cutting in line for coronavirus vaccine
Read full article: NFL won't be cutting in line for coronavirus vaccine(AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)The NFL wonโt be cutting in line to get the coronavirus vaccine. โNo one should be thinking about the vaccine going anywhere other than our first responders and the most vulnerable people right now,โ said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association. โThe rollout of the vaccine is going to be driven by public health concerns and what medical and government officials determine to be the most efficacious for risk reduction across society as a whole. The largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history got underway Monday with health workers rolling up their sleeves for the first shots on the same day the nationโs COVID-19 death toll hit a staggering 300,000. High-risk health care workers and some nursing home residents were among the first in line for the shots that could finally conquer the outbreak that has upended life across the globe.
NFL union sees no current need for bubble to slow COVID-19
Read full article: NFL union sees no current need for bubble to slow COVID-19โWhen we all follow the protocols, they work and they work well,โ Tretter said. โThe contact tracing, getting everyone who potentially are exposed out of the building, works to stop the spread of the virus. Union spokesman George Atallah said that 90% of players that test positive do so within five days of exposure. That is why the league and union have decided to isolate โhigh-riskโ close contacts for a five-day period to make sure they continue to test negative. โWe have to make decisions on the information and data we have at the time.โ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Brady feels at home during scrimmage in Buccaneers stadium
Read full article: Brady feels at home during scrimmage in Buccaneers stadiumTAMPA, Fla. A little more than two weeks away from the start of the NFL season, Tom Brady is settling into a new home. The 43-year-old quarterback led touchdown drives on two of four series he worked during a full scrimmage, including a 98-yard march to begin the session. We got to a point where the stadium wasnt that big a deal, Brady said. Getting to the stadium, getting with my teammates, it was a good dress rehearsal, so to speak, Brady said. The communication that we have on a daily basis about social injustice is important for all of us, Brady added.
Players plead with NFL to address health, safety concerns
Read full article: Players plead with NFL to address health, safety concernsNFL players are publicly pleading with the league to address several health and safety concerns on the eve of training camp. The league informed teams on Saturday that training camps will open on time even though discussions with the players union regarding testing for the coronavirus and other health and safety protocols are ongoing. Players for all teams are scheduled to report by July 28. If the NFL doesnt do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. @NFL Training camp is about to start.. And theres still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety.
NFLPA wants players tested daily for virus when camps open
Read full article: NFLPA wants players tested daily for virus when camps open(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)The NFL Players Association wants players tested daily for coronavirus, one of the outstanding points in discussions with the NFL over health and safety protocols as the start of training camp draws near. They gave their medical opinion it was safe to open training camp, and thats where we are, Smith said. If the league and union fail to reach an agreement, the NFL can implement its proposed rules, according to the CBA. The NFLPA could file a grievance to argue the league isnt providing a safe work environment under rules of the collective bargaining agreement. This isnt a normal year so weve always done it this way is not going to work this year, Tretter said.
Goodell: 'Tragic events' call for 'urgent need for action'
Read full article: Goodell: 'Tragic events' call for 'urgent need for action'NEW YORK NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says there remains an urgent need for action following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests around the country that have followed. As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league, Goodell said in his statement Saturday. There remains an urgent need for action. I understand the outrage because it seems the list continues to grow: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. Will he be treated like George Floyd or Ahmaud Abrey?