The football world came to a screeching halt on Tuesday afternoon, when a federal class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams was filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. The 40-year-old coach, who is Black, alleges racial discrimination in regard to interview processes with the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, and his tenure in Miami.
The lawsuit claims that the Giants recently interviewed Flores for their head coaching job under disingenuous conditions, as the team simply wanted to fulfill the league's "Rooney Rule" policy, which requires teams to interview external minority candidates for top-level openings. The lawsuit also alleges that, during the 2019 season, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 for every loss, in an effort to tank for the top-overall draft pick.
"We know, as a populous who has covered the NFL -- I know somebody who speaks with Black coaches, execs, agents regularly -- the sham interview has been taking place for decades," CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones told the Maggie and Perloff show on Wednesday. "There are more [stories] that have been whispered about, talked about... I think there was a bit of a sigh of relief that this is, at least, established in such an official way, without even getting into the merits of the individual claims...
"I think the NFL has thought long and hard about the policies they've made, adjusted and tweaked, the trial balloons they've sent out there and brought back. I fully and firmly believe there are people in that building, this is a high priority for them. Unfortunately, for all of their efforts, years worth of efforts, it's, 'Lead a horse to water, can't make them drink.' And until you change the hearts, minds of those who're making decisions, it doesn't matter, ultimately, how many 'hurdles' you put in front of them..."
Flores claims that, three days before his interview with the Giants, he learned that the franchise already settled on hiring candidate Brian Daboll. The lawsuit includes a text message exchange between Flores and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, in which Flores received a congratulatory message from Belichick that was sent in error. The message was intended for Daboll.
The Giants released a statement in response to Flores' lawsuit, claiming that, "We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll... Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour." The league also issued a statement, saying in part, "We will defend against these claims, which are without merit." A statement from the Dolphins said, "We vehemently deny any allegations of racial discrimination and are proud of the diversity and inclusion throughout our organization."
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."
The entire NFL conversation between Jones and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above. Additional information and details about Flores' lawsuit can be found here.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.