Jon Gruden "did lots of commercials" during his time away from coaching, but viewers will "probably be seeing less" of him in TV ads now that he has been named Raiders coach, according to Ron Kantowski of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Gruden's endorsements have included Hooters, GMC, Corona, Dunkin’ Donuts, Bridgestone, GoPro and Nationwide, as well as promoting "The Dark Knight Rises" when it was released in '12. There is "little in the pro football handbook preventing Gruden from continuing to hawk stuff." But sources said that he "won’t continue to supplement his income by doing commercials." Promoting products on TV "might give the impression an NFL coach isn’t devoting sole attention to preparing" for games (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/14).
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: The way the Raiders hired Gruden and subsequently handled the NFL's Rooney Rule continues to be a topic of discussion. CBS Sports Network's London Fletcher said, "I want the NFL to come down on the Raiders so hard that no team will ever think about making a mockery of the Rooney Rule ever again. This is ridiculous the way they handled the Rooney Rule” (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBSSN, 1/14). ESPN’s Kate Fagan said the Rooney Rule “can’t just be meeting quotas." The NFL needs to "figure out a way to get it teeth, or why is it there?” (“OTL,” ESPN, 1/12). But CBSSN's Brandon Tierney said, "A lot of the heat that the Raiders are getting, I think it’s unfair. Nobody has done more for minorities and women in the NFL than the Raiders. The list is long, it’s distinguished, and paramount with the history of the league” (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBSSN, 1/14).
