The Many Balls of Brian Flores
It takes a man of great strength to tackle the NFL. Enter Brian Flores — a Black coach in a field dominated by white owners — deciding to file a class action lawsuit alleging discrimination against three teams along with the entire National Football League. The NFL…where this football fan, born in the projects of Brownsville, Brooklyn finally realized his longtime dream to become a head coach.
But the NFL is also where that dream was shattered.
His allegations are not surprising considering the makeup of the NFL. What’s ballsy is having the guts to call it out.
The details of the case will continue to pour out, and while we don’t know exactly what happened, the evidence presented in Flores’ complaint is pretty damning.
First, Flores was fired from his head coaching job despite winning eight of his last nine games and delivering the team’s first back to back winning seasons in about 20 years.
Then he felt humiliated as he interviewed for another head coaching job he had inadvertently been told was going to someone else. He knew teams have to check the box that requires them to consider minority candidates even if they have no intention of hiring them.
So Flores must have had enough. And he knows he’s not alone.
Before he filed his federal lawsuit, he was no doubt told by his attorneys that doing so would torpedo his career. And at 40 years YOUNG he must wonder why his career might be over when he is simply calling out what the NFL’s own statistics scream.
-70% of NFL players are Black
-0% of teams have a Black owner.
-Only one team (3%) has a Black head coach
-Three teams (9%) have a Black QB coach
-Four teams (12%) have a Black offensive coordinator
-Six teams (19%) have a Black GM
Flores’ mind must be racing, wondering if any other coaches are going to stand with him and say the NFL has a diversity problem at the top. He must wonder if any members of any team, in a league dominated by Black players, are going to speak up. He must wonder if those who quietly express their support will ever say so out loud, in public, to the fans and players who view them as role models. He must wonder if NFL executives, the 32 team owners and their general managers, will make sure coaches, players and staff know, in the most subtle ways, that they are expected to remain quiet, or else.
Mostly, though, he must be wondering if sacrificing himself for the greater good of the game will be worth it.
Flores looked sad as he explained what a difficult decision it was to file a federal lawsuit. A decision that required as much bravery as it did for Flores to refuse the alleged demands of a billionaire owner to throw a game or walk away from what was reportedly an unethical meeting with a prominent quarterback. Both allegations are detailed in the lawsuit.
Flores must be feeling the mental exhaustion that has to come with single-handedly taking on a beloved institution more than a century old. Worth noting: critics question Flores’ lawsuit, arguing that owners can hire whomever they want. That is absolutely true. But what is also true is that white men have controlled the most powerful positions in the sport since its inception. And it seems like some have a clear reluctance to offer the biggest opportunities to those who don’t look like them.
The NFL has not had a single Black owner in its history, and, with Flores’ firing, there’s just one team with a Black head coach.
So why was the NFL so quick to respond that Flores’ claims are “without merit?”
Without question, this isn’t the first time the league has been faced with accusations of racism. See this tweet from former NFL head coach and now sports analyst Tony Dungy, a day after the lawsuit became public:
“One year ago I wrote a letter to NFL owners saying the NFL had a problem only they could solve. Not a lot has changed. Brian Flores’ suit shows the frustration many black coaches have. It could be just the tip of the iceberg. Something has to change!”
Admittedly, we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. But the “meritless claims” response feels like a knee-jerk reaction and shouts of dismissiveness.
The NFL did what many corporations facing lawsuits do: doubled down, and proclaimed innocence.
Flores is now faced with taking on the very powerful institution that holds his career in its hands. The weight of that is not lost on Flores: in an interview on CBS he said “I absolutely want to coach in this league..but I’m also not the only one with a story to tell. There are people who have come before, and I know there are others who have similar stories. It’s hard to speak out and you’re making some sacrifices. This is bigger than coaching.”
Kristen Shaughnessy
Amanda Farinacci
Roma Torre
Jeanine Ramirez
Vivian Lee
