How The Sports World Is Reacting To Brian Flores’ Lawsuit Against The NFL, Teams
Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and three of the league’s teams has caused shockwaves throughout the sports world with many throwing their support behind the recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach.
In his suit, Flores asserts that he participated in two “sham” interviews as teams attempted to comply with the Rooney Rule, a league policy requiring teams to interview minority candidates for key positions, citing the New York Giants and Denver Broncos. He also alleged that, while coaching the Dolphins, team owner Stephen Ross offered him a $100,000 bonus for each loss during the 2019 season.
Flores’ lawyer, Douglas Wigdor said there is “corroborating evidence” to back up the claim that Ross made the offer, which, according to the Miami Herald, would have added up to $1.1 million.
The details of the lawsuit are damning for the NFL and relay a culture that many who work in the league and are former employees of are very familiar with. See some of the social media reaction to Brian Flores’ lawsuit below.
The NFL has since responded with a statement disputing the suit, claiming it is “without merit” while defending its hiring practices.
“The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations,” the statement reads. “Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defend against these claims, which are without merit.”
Additionally, Flores’ suit said that Colin Kaepernick and his exit from the NFL amid his protests of police brutality and social injustice were another example of alleged racism in hiring practices that extends to quarterbacks.
"Against the backdrop of the League’s history, this conduct remains an appalling example of the League’s continued problems with race," it states.
As previously reported, Brian Flores was cut by the Dolphins in January, which came as a shock to many, considering he posted back-to-back winning seasons over the past two years. The Dolphins were also able to rally from a 1-7 start in 2021 to finish 9-8, including a 33-24 win against division foe New England to conclude the season. With the subsequent firing of Houston Texans head coach David Culley, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin became the lone Black head coach remaining in the league.
