Gruden participated in such? If he did, it wouldn't surprise me either, and he should face the consequences of that action.
Difference between you and me is that I'd expect charges to be leveled or that his contract would've been terminated BY ESPN rather than the league leaking his 10 yr old private emails to the press.
Just because he was working for ESPN doesn't mean he didn't have an expectation of privacy from people outside ESPN and the immediate participants in the conversation. Work emails are not public emails unless you work for the government.
If the person in charge of the league has a problem with Gruden disliking him and how he handles things, he still shouldn't handle it in this manner. Doing so proves he's unfit for the position and the power given. He should resign as well.
For the record, I don't believe anything about a case should be leaked to anyone prior to trial. It prejudices any potential jury pool, and the leaked info should be inadmissible for that reason. I think it has helped corrupt our legal system. Engineered public sentiment shouldn't be part of the trial process.