Anyone who tuned into HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ feauting the Oakland Raiders this season was hoping to get a heavy dose of head coach Jon Gruden — and while early episodes left people wanting more, Episode No. 4 did not disappoint. On Tuesday night we got every side of Jon Gruden one could possibly want — including the irritated Gruden, the fiery Gruden and even the compassionate Gruden.
Let’s break it down:
Irritated Gruden
If you’re a ref, watch out. Now, if you’re a ref that’s trying to change the rules on Gruden? Woof.
In the Raiders’ third preseason game, because of field issues, the Packers requested that the game be played on an 80-yard field. And, well, Gruden wasn’t happy. First, there was the interaction with the refs in the tunnel where you could just feel the disdain he had.
But it got worse.
Later in the game, a ref came over and told him he needed to get back in his coaching box.
Coach Gruden, your thoughts?
“Just throw the flag on me. I’ve had enough f***ing grief.”
But the refs weren’t done! They came back to Gruden later in the game, to get this nugget of gold from Chucky:
“Only 240 yards of penalties tonight, hell of a job by you guys. Outstanding. F****d up the field. I’m sure the league office will consider canceling kickoffs and moving to the 90-yard field.”
Thankfully, the Raiders won — meaning irritated Gruden quickly shifted into…
Heartwarming Gruden
If you’ve followed the Raider training came thus far, you know one of the big storylines of camp has been Gruden’s affection for Nathan Peterman. For those new to this topic, Peterman is the guy infamous for throwing five interceptions in the first half of his first career start. According to Gruden, however, it has been a good camp for the third-year man out of Pitt.
Tuesday night’s episode showed Peterman relieve the struggling Mike Glennon, leading the team to a come-from-behind win capped off by a great looking two-minute drill. After the game, Gruden’s kindness towards his new BFF was evident:
“That’s as good as I’ve seen you since Pitt, man. You saw the field great, man. Great audibles, no sacks, I mean, took care of the ball, two-minute drive. God bless you, great. Great. Proud of you, Nate.”
Proud of you. Wow.
Fiery Gruden
While the first two versions of Gruden were sporadic, it’s the fiery Gruden that everyone knows and loves that has carried the show so far. Every time they cut to a meeting room with the entire team, I’m on the edge of my seat — the quotes, the energy, the smirks — it’s clear that Gruden commands the room and has what it takes to energize these guys.
Of course, the most memorable bit from this episode — the 2019 version of “Bless ‘Em” perhaps — was Gruden’s tag line, “knock on wood if you’re with me”. HBO did a great job of cutting up some film along with 10-12 different times Gruden used the quote to make a little montage that was great about halfway through the episode.
Overall, regardless of which side of Gruden was on display, the man was the star of the show.
Extra Points
- The funniest moment of the show came after the credits had already rolled when defensive line coach Brenston Buckner was heard talking to his defensive linemen. Then he dropped this gem: “You a habitual fat person, sneaking around.” Immediately afterward, they cut to offensive linemen Trent Brown (note: not at all who Buckner was talking to) DEMOLISHING a fruit by the foot in one bite before going back for more snacks. Classic.
- The best Gruden quote of the night: “Don’t shove sand up a flea’s ass”. No context needed.
- It seems like the show is always trying to track guys who might find themselves on the cut line, and the three candidates they picked this year appear to be Jason Cabinda, Luke Willson and Keelan Doss. At this point, Doss seems like a good bet to make the team, while the other two aren’t likely to survive Episode 5.
- Probably the best moment for Raider fans was a conversation between Derek Carr and Jon Gruden about the upcoming cuts. They both lamented the fact that good players (and people) would be cut. This is exciting because it’s new territory for the Raiders! The idea that the Raiders have too many NFL players is exciting!
- Last bit: when Keelan Doss sang, I thought he might be the worst singer of all time. Then Trayvon Mullen started. Sheesh.
