The NFL is no stranger to controversy. Within the past few years alone, they have dealt with some of their biggest issues including the shut out of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. They are also no stranger to hiding their battles.
While the Super Bowl was all everyone could talk about, the league is currently fighting a discrimination lawsuit. Brian Flores, the former Miami Dolphins head coach filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL as well as the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos, and the New York Giants. Flores alleged that he experiences discriminatory practices while being interviewed for jobs including two head coaching positions as well as his firing.
A little over a year later, the charges still stand and the NFL files motion to move the lawsuit to arbitration. Yet, it’s overshadowed by events from the league including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the NFL Draft.
Seasons of Exposure
This season exposed the practices within the organization surrounding players health and safety with the injury of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They didn’t put his current state at the top of their concern. After the scary hit that led him being stretchered off the field, everyone in the country wondered why.
This surely wasn’t put behind them as no one would let them live this situation down. But the league was able to put this lawsuit behind them and focus on their practices. Flores dropped many bombshells in the lawsuit. Some of the most explosive include the Giants hiring their new head coach, Brian Daboll, before he was even interviewed, the Dolphins GM asked him to help the team lose during their winning streak to improve their draft position, and how unprofessional and unprepared the Broncos were in his interview.
Flores’s allegations against the NFL were shocking, but it was even more shocking how the league chose to handle it and ignore it. It’s not new news that big organizations try to hide damaging things to protect their reputation. The suit wasn’t completely saying “screw the NFL.” It asked for a series of initiatives asking for relief to bolster minority involvement.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
One of the biggest things the NFL can do is instate those initiations, regardless of the lawsuits. A few of the reliefs including requiring NFL teams to justify in writing their hiring and firing decisions, incentivize the retention of black coaches and front office staff, and creating a committee to increase ownership diversity.
It is surprising to me that these weren’t already instated and practiced, especially the documentation of hiring and firing. Transparency for them has been a huge struggle, and when it comes to reasoning everyone deserves that. When someone is let go, they should get a definite reason of why that decision is made and the teams should make it clear why they came to that decision.
All we can hope is that they don’t overshadow what’s going on with their own agenda. If the NFL wants to protect their image, they need to tackle things head on. I’m sure it is easier said than done, but from a fan perspective, I hope justice is where it’s deserved. With this case still pending, Flores recently joined the Minnesota Vikings as their new Defense Coordinator.
