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2021 Man of the Year: Jon Gruden

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Head coach John Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
December 28, 2021

Unlike Colin Kaepernick, who lost his job in the NFL due to lack of talent, former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden was forced to resign for using offensive language in a series of old emails leaked to media outlets.

Historians and scholars can argue about whether Gruden's ousting was justified, but there is simply no debate over his assessment, as revealed in those emails, of two of the most powerful figures in public life. In one exchange, for example, Gruden referred to then-vice president Joe Biden as a "nervous clueless pussy," which is only offensive to people who are offended by the truth.

The same goes for Gruden's description of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as a "clueless anti football pussy." As a media outlet dedicated to accuracy and journalistic integrity, the Washington Free Beacon unleashed an army of fact-checkers to evaluate both of these claims, and rendered a verdict of Zero Clintons.

Gruden has since filed suit against Goodell and the NFL, accusing league executives of selectively leaking his emails to destroy his career, which they definitely did. Even his harshest critics will have trouble rooting against him in court. Being a clueless pussy, Goodell will probably try to reach a confidential settlement and make the whole thing go away, but Gruden should stand firm.

When it comes to Biden, the ex-NFL coach isn't the only one who correctly assessed the current president's severe limitations as a politician and as a human being. Even his former boss, Barack Obama, tried to warn us not to "underestimate Joe's ability to f— things up" and repeatedly advised Biden not to run for president again. For once in his life, Obama was right. We should have listened.

For speaking the truth even when it cost him his job and for his unabashed willingness to call out fellow men lacking testicular fortitude, Jon Gruden is a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.