In response to Brian Flores' bombshell lawsuit against the NFL, which alleges racial discrimination in regard to its teams' hiring practices, the league issued a statement on Tuesday night that said in part, "We will defend against these claims, which are without merit." According to recent reports, the league is expected to investigate tanking and tampering allegations that Flores made against Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
The suit claims that the New York Giants recently interviewed Flores for their head coaching job under disingenuous conditions, as they simply wanted to fulfill the NFL's "Rooney Rule" policy, which requires franchises to interview external minority candidates for high-ranking jobs. It also alleges that, during the 2019 season, Ross offered Flores $100,000 for every loss, in an effort to tank for the top-overall draft pick.
"[NFL commissioner] Roger Goodell needs to be pressured. Goodell needs to be pushed. He needs to be pushed to change what the owners are doing," JR said during the JR SportBrief show on Wednesday night. "Owners need to be investigated. There's a whole lot here that might crack open and potentially change the NFL. But the players have to want it. The players have to fight for it. The coaches have to go out and fight for it as well...
"It's not about changing hearts and minds. Those hearts and minds are dead, cold, and old. It's about bringing in new folks, opinions, and perspectives, so the NFL can flourish into the future without being an old boys' club... Goodell needs to investigate these actions, words, allegations by Flores. Because we need to stop fining the owners. And if they're found to violate the integrity of the game or humanity, their asses need to go. And Goodell needs to push for that, and the players need to push him as well."
During an in-studio appearance on Wednesday's edition of "CBS Mornings," Flores discussed his allegations, saying in part, "I'm not the only one with a story to tell. People have come before me, and I know there are others who have similar stories and it's hard to speak out. You're making some sacrifices but this is bigger than football, and this is bigger than coaching."
JR's complete thoughts on Flores' lawsuit against the NFL can be accessed in the audio player above. Additional information and details about the mammoth lawsuit can be found here.
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