It took this to make us care about football

Dear Leading Ladies,

We all heard last week that Tom Brady is retiring. But there was another piece of football news that grabbed our attention, and we think it deserves much more of our attention.

iStock photos

Brian Flores, a Black man who was fired in January as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is suing the NFL, alleging discrimination against him and other Black coaches in the league’s hiring practices. Turns out Flores was due to interview for the head coaching job with the NY Giants when he received a text from Bill Belichick (for whom he had previously worked as an assistant coach for 15 years) congratulating him for getting the job. It didn’t make sense since Flores had not yet had his interview. Flores wrote back to Belichick to ask if the text was meant for Brian Daboll instead, a white man who had already had his interview and apparently been assured that the position was his. Belichick had written to the wrong Brian. Oops!

Flores realized that, once again, he had been treated unfairly and that he was not being seriously considered for the head coaching job. Of course, the Giants disputed this conclusion, claiming Flores was a leading candidate up until the eleventh hour. Which doesn’t make a lot of sense, since Belichick seems to have known Daboll had the job before Flores was even interviewed.

So what’s the real story?

The NFL has acknowledged that there should be more Black coaches in the league. In fact, there is currently just one African American head coach and three minority head coaches out of 32. Meanwhile, 70 percent of players are Black.

To combat this inequity, the league instituted the Rooney Rule in 2003, which makes it mandatory for teams to interview a diverse range of candidates for coaching and senior management positions. Though the league claims to have increased the interviewing of diverse candidates, Flores and other Black candidates believe they are given interviews simply so that the owners can say they complied with the Rooney Rule, but they are not seriously considered for the head coaching jobs. Flores recounts being treated disrespectfully in interviews, with management showing up late and acting disinterested. It happened with the Giants and, before that, with the Denver Broncos.

Flores’ suit also alleges that the Dolphins owner, Stephen Michael Ross, offered him money to lose games in order to strengthen their draft picks. Flores wouldn’t cooperate, which he believes led to his firing. "To disrespect the game like that, trust was lost, and there were certainly some strained relationships, and ultimately, I think that was my demise in Miami," Flores said last week.

Of course, the NFL denies any racism or wrongdoing. They issued this statement: “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. 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.”

Flores’s lawyers have said they have already heard from other coaches who have reported discriminatory practices and pressure to forfeit games.

"We didn't have to file a lawsuit for the world to know there's an issue," Flores said. "This isn't about me. It's bigger than football. This is about equal opportunity for qualified Black candidates -- not just in football but everywhere, in all industries."

Why do we care?

Sure, there is the ever-looming issue of racism rearing its head in yet another aspect of our culture. But there is another side of this case that is disturbing. Little boys and girls see grownups all around them doing things they want to do when they get bigger. They want to be teachers or firefighters, doctors or artists, ballerinas or house builders.

Or athletes.

Little boys and girls of color often see athletes who look like them. Even though the likelihood of their growing up to be professional athletes is slim, the aspiration is exciting. But how damaging is it for these children to see Black and brown players always managed and directed by white men? Wouldn’t it be wonderful for them to see people who look like them in charge?

As we celebrate Black History Month and hear about communities and states working to prevent accurate teaching of our nation’s history of racism, we are reminded of how much work there is still to be done.

But then there’s hope.

Amanda Gorman, the poet who spoke so eloquently at President Biden’s inauguration, recently wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about hope. We figure if she can speak of hope with such conviction, we can muster some too. She wrote,

“Our nation is still haunted by disease, inequality, and environmental crises. But though our fears may be the same, we are not. If nothing else, this must be known: Even as we’ve grieved, we’ve grown; even fatigued, we’ve found that this hill we climb is one we must mount together. We are battered but bolder, worn but wiser. I’m not telling you to not be tired or afraid. If anything, the very fact that we’re weary means we are, by definition, changed; we are brave enough to listen to, and learn from, our fear. This time will be different because this time we’ll be different. We already are.

“And yes, I still am terrified every day. Yet fear can be love trying its best in the dark. So do not fear your fear. Own it. Free it. This isn’t a liberation that I or anyone can give you — it’s a power you must look for, learn, love, lead and locate for yourself.

“Why? The truth is, hope isn’t a promise we give,” she wrote. “It’s a promise we live.”

Best,
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org