Stephen A. Smith Praises NBA’s Proactivity While Blasting NFL’s Culture Problem

Jon Gruden has resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders after deeply offensive emails written by the coach were uncovered. According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Gruden’s emails are part of a larger problem within the NFL.

“This is a grenade that has been dropped on the NFL and an implosion is about to take place,” Smith said before comparing the NFL’s culture to the NBA. “The NBA has successfully gone about the business of being a global brand. {snip}”

Smith noted that NFL players get to hide behind their helmets and league owners hide behind the commissioner, while NBA players and executives are often front and center.

“Now you get into the issue of diversity or lack thereof, there’s no minority representation in ownership with the NFL with the exception of Shahid Khan,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “When you take that into consideration and then you see Jon Gruden, it reeks of ‘good ol’ boys club’ it reeks of White privilege.”

{snip}