(Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st class Caleb Nunez)
Mark Davis started the press conference on Tuesday by saying, “Raider Nation, this is a big f-ing deal.” You can tell the owner of the Oakland Raiders, is clearly excited – as are we.
Why? Because Jon Gruden is out of retirement and he’s back in black (and silver), people.
(Credit: Instagram/@therealcabbie)
Side note: Since when did Davis and Gruden start going to the same barber?
Anyways, Gruden returns to the boys in black after serving as head coach from 1998-2001. And then, every member of Raider Nation remembers what happened next – Gruden headed east to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I remember as a little girl liking to watch the Bucs games simply because Gruden was the coach.
He’s enthusiastic. He’s real. And, as Gruden said one reason why he’s taking on a head coaching position again, is for a reason all teams want to hear.
“Most of all, I love to win,” Gruden said at the press conference.
Let’s face it, Gruden is going to go down as a legend. Actually, he already has.
There are only four men to-date that have won the Super Bowl in their first season with a team. Per the NFL, here’s the elite to have done so:
- Don McCafferty – Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl X
- George Seifert – San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIV
- Jon Gruden – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Super Bowl XXXVII
- Gary Kubiak – Denver Broncos, Super Bowl 50.
And let’s be clear, here – that Super Bowl win is the only one the Bucs have under their belt.
Who knows, maybe Sean McVay, the youngest NFL head coach ever (31), will get it done this year for the Los Angeles Rams, but that’s another story.
Gruden has taken a seven-year sabbatical from coaching and instead has been going the broadcast route, where I’m sure you’ve see him on Monday Night Football giving his Gruden Grinder.
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But if you’re thinking that his break from coaching will take a toll on his first season back, I’d think again.
He’s got a solid caliber team with a young leader of a QB in Derek Carr. He’s got the assets, so why not come out the gates hot?
Raider Nation’s thinking it, and I’m just saying it.
Even if you hate the Raiders, admit it – you can’t wait to see the headset-throwing, enthusiastic Chucky back on the sidelines, if only for sheer entertainment.
(Credit: Giphy)
Well, maybe not if it’s your team he’s knocking into the ground.
The Coaches' Daughters 