Let's Talk Football
In American culture, the NFL is not just a sport; it’s a sacred and beloved tradition. But, does our country’s love for the game blind us from the injustices going on behind the scenes?
Last summer in 2022, former head coach of the Dolphins, Brian Flores, filed a federal class action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams alleging racial discrimination in the league and in its hiring practices. The three teams specifically named in the ongoing lawsuit are the Denver Broncos, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.
To provide some background context, 70 percent of the league's players are Black, but only three of the league's head coaches identify as Black. In efforts to address this discrepancy, a decade ago, the NFL established the “Rooney Rule” to ensure inclusive hiring practices — a rule which has since been revised three times.
The most recent version of the policy, as outlined by the NFL, requires teams to satisfy a specific quota of interviews with people of color and/or women. These quotas vary by coaching position and role. For example, for head coaching positions, the rule requires teams interview a minimum of two “external minority candidates” and for senior level positions, the rule requires teams' interview either one “minority and or female candidate.”
However, the real question is, how effective has the Rooney Rule been in increasing diversity within the organization's coaching staff? According to Flores, it hasn’t been. It just allows teams to continue hiring white male coaches while merely interviewing candidates of color and women as a means to fulfill league requirements. A quote from the lawsuit filed by Flores states, “Rules have been implemented, promises made — but nothing has changed. In fact, the racial discrimination has only been made worse by the NFL’s disingenuous commitment to social equity.”
Flores, a two-season winning coach who was expected to be highly sought out after leaving the Dolphins, has alleged in his lawsuit that he was subject to performative interviews and used to satisfy the Rooney Rule. In a particular instance regarding the New York Giants, Flores alleges that in the days leading up to his interview for the head coaching position, he received a text his former boss, Bill Belichick, that was intended for another coach, Brain Daboll.
In the text, which Flores presented as evidence in his case, Patriots coach Bill Belichick mistakenly texts Flores congratulating Daboll on getting the head coaching position even though Flores had yet to interview for the job.
The NFL and three teams, however, have and continue to deny these claims in their entirety, stating that there is no merit to Flores’ allegations.
As the case remains ongoing and other controversies arise over safety and swindling players out of disability payouts, this lawsuit sets the stage for what many believe to be an overdue conversation about how the NFL operates its organization.
One section of the document submitted by Flores’ lawyers reads: “In certain critical ways, the NFL is racially segregated and is managed much like a plantation. Its 32 owners — none of whom are Black — profit substantially from the labor of NFL players, 70% of whom are Black.”
The racial disparities in the league raise fundamental questions about who the NFL is willing to employ as players versus who they are willing to employ as coaches. In 1921, Fritz Pollard became the first Black coach in the NFL. It was not until 68 years later in 1989 that the Raiders hired Art Shell. Since then, only 24 Black coaches have had the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.
The NFL may be beloved and sacred, but it’s far from equitable. It’s time the culture of racial discrimination and inequality within the organization be adequately addressed. A good start? Not just interviewing, but hiring, coaches who represent the teams they’re coaching.
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