ESPN’s Randy Moss Breaks Down in Powerful Condemnation of Jon Gruden’s Racist Email: ‘National Football League, This Hurts Me!’

ESPN analyst Randy Moss delivered a powerful condemnation of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden over the recently unearthed racist email penned by Gruden.

In an emotional commentary on Sunday morning’s edition of NFL Countdown, Moss blasted Gruden over his 2011 email which used a racist trope to describe NFL Players Association director DeMaurice Smith.

“Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires,” Gruden wrote, in the email first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Moss thoroughly denounced the comment, and called for a firm response from the Raiders and the league.

“We’re going into the 21st century, okay?” Moss said. “And instead of moving forward, we’re moving backwards! And I really don’t know what percentage of the National Football League is Black but i know it’s over 50 percent — 60, 70 percent, okay? And I know we generate a whole lot of money for this National Football League! And for you to hear [ESPN’s] Adam Schefter talking about discipline or distance from [Raiders owner Mark] Davis, the clock is ticking! We are watching to see what the National Football League is going to do!”

Later in the segment, Moss — the legendary wide receiver who played for the Raiders and four other teams over his career — teared up while delivering impassioned remarks.

My Civil Rights were kind of messed with in high school over the color of my skin. And now, being able to play 14 years in the National Football League, to have something like this, of a leader … we talk about leadership, we give guys these big contracts because they want to be able to lead 70 men, coaches, equipment staff, and managers to the number one goal — and that’s to win a championship. And for us to be moving back and not forward in the 21st century. Like I said, National football League, this hurts me! The clock is ticking, man.

NFL Countdown host Samantha Ponder likewise grew emotional, responding to the comments from Moss.

“This is what I think about,” Ponder said. “Randy sitting up here feeling this way from a distance. I can’t imagine a guy in that [Raiders] locker room today trying to play a football game feeling that way. How?! I don’t know how.”

Watch above, via ESPN.

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