The Racist Hiring Practices of the NFL Exposed

Shockwaves were sent through the football world last week when former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores announced he had filed a class action lawsuit against the National Football League (NFL), accusing it of systemic racism in the hiring of coaches by various teams and their owners.
Since 2003, the NFL has had a token diversity policy called the “Rooney Rule,” which mandates that each team must interview minority candidates when hiring new coaches. Flores, who is Black, has evidence that he was forced to sit through sham interviews for various coaching positions which were done only to comply with the rule even though these teams had no intention of hiring him.
In one instance, Flores revealed text messages showing how he found out another white coach was going to be hired as head coach for the New York Giants before Flores had even interviewed for the job. In another instance, Flores revealed that the Denver Broncos upper management showed up an hour late and hungover to interview Flores for their head coaching position before ultimately hiring a different coach who is white.
Since Flores initiated the lawsuit, his actions have given other Black coaches the courage to come forward and speak about similar experiences during their time in the NFL. In response, the NFL’s commissioner Roger Goodell has already come out stating the NFL needs to “reevaluate” its diversity and inclusion policies.
Similar to Colin Kaepernick, Flores has risked his career in order to take a stand against the racism of the immensely powerful forces that run the NFL. It remains to be seen what will happen. But it is clear that if the racist practices of the NFL are at all changed by this, it will be because of the courage of Flores and any other coaches and players his actions have inspired to stand along side him.