With rumors swirling as to whether or not Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden will make his way back to coaching in 2012, Fox NFL’s Mike Pereira has made it very apparent that he’s not too fond of the former coach.
In a column on FoxSports.com on Thursday, Pereira was very critical of Gruden for no knowing the rules of the game, especially those pertaining to illegal hits.
“I am not a fan of Gruden’s,” Pereira wrote on the website. “Not today, not yesterday, not when I worked for the NFL and not when I was working on the field as a side judge. He was a loudmouth as a coach who constantly disrespected officials, and he is a blowhard in the broadcast booth who spouts off when he doesn’t know what he is talking about.”
Pereira cited two examples in particular during Monday night’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. The first incident occurred when Gruden questioned whether or not Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton should have been penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver in Marques Colston. The second incident took place when Gruden was questioning why Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins’ legal shoulder-to-back hit on Falcons tight end Reggie Kelly didn’t draw the same 15-yard flag.
“Gruden said he doesn’t understand how games are being officiated?” Pereira wrote. “Correctly and consistently in this case.”
Ref: The Sporting News, AP (image)