The allegations in Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit have set alarms off across the NFL as many spent Wednesday reacting to the news.
That included Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was willing to admit the league is not doing its best when it comes to diversity practices in hiring for jobs such as head coach.
“I can see it’s an area, one of many, that we can do better,” Jones said at the Senior Bowl, via USA Today. “The area has some good attention. This is obvious if you look through that the league and coaches are trying to improve here.”
Flores, who was fired by the Dolphins in January, detailed specific allegations against the Dolphins, Broncos and Giants in how he felt he was treated due to his race.
Jones would not comment on how other teams in the league handle their interview process or say anything specific about the teams in the lawsuit, but added he believes the league is willing to address how the Rooney Rule could be better.
“I think the fact that it’s an issue shows not only the league’s willingness to address and do better,” Jones said. “I think the fact that it’s being discussed as to how the Rooney Rule, or what drives the Rooney Rule could be t. In the case of coach Flores’ complaint, he’s saying it could be better and the processes create positive result for the league.”
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While Flores laid out requests for change in his suit, Jones did not have any specific suggestions on how the NFL could improve on the Rooney Rule.
The Cowboys owner believes it is a conversation that will never end, although he recognized that much progress has been made since he first became an owner.
“The more we become substantive — and we’re a lot more substantive as a league and as a sport than we ever were when I got involved 30-something years ago — and we’re more pertinent and more germane than we were 10 years ago,” he said. “The more that happens, the more boxes we’re going to. Have to come up that we need to check.
“As long as this league is continuing to be the influence that we are, by the interest in the game, by continuing to try to improve over time, the list of boxes we’ll need to address will get bigger. And we’ll have t spend more time checking more boxes.
“But I welcome that. How would you like for nobody to be interested and nobody to even look at it or have boxes to check?”
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