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FILE – Miami Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross, left, walks off the sphere subsequent to teach Brian Flores after the staff’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL soccer sport Oct. 24, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fired Dolphins coach Flores sued the NFL and three groups Tuesday, Feb. 1, over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and normal managers, saying the league stays “rife with racism” even because it publicly condemns it. In keeping with the lawsuit, Ross informed Flores he would pay him $100,000 for each loss throughout the coach’s first season as a result of he needed the membership to “tank” so it may get the draft’s high choose. Messages left with the Dolphins searching for remark weren't instantly returned. (John McCall/South Florida Solar-Sentinel by way of AP, File)
By ARNIE STAPLETON | The Related Press
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed groups Saturday that the league will look to bolster insurance policies meant to encourage hiring of minorities, significantly as head coaches, and he pledged an investigation into tanking allegations raised by Brian Flores in his discrimination lawsuit towards the NFL.
“We are going to reevaluate and look at all insurance policies, pointers and initiatives regarding range, fairness and inclusion, together with as they relate to gender,” Goodell wrote in a memo to the league’s 32 golf equipment that was obtained by The Related Press.
The commissioner added that the league’s file on hiring minority coaches has been “unacceptable.”
The memo got here 5 days after Flores sued the league and three groups over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and normal managers, saying the league stays “rife with racism” even because it publicly condemns it.
The NFL’s major avenue for rising range in its management ranks is the two-decade-old Rooney Rule, which requires groups to interview minority candidates for jobs together with head coach and normal supervisor. Regardless of the rule, there's at the moment one Black head coach within the league: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. There are not any Black staff house owners, only a handful of Black GMs and comparatively few Black coordinators in a league the place greater than 70% of gamers are Black or one other ethnic minority.
Goodell mentioned the league will embody exterior consultants in its assessment together with “present and former gamers and coaches, advocates and different authorities on this space. Our objective is straightforward: make our efforts and people of the golf equipment more practical in order that actual and tangible outcomes shall be achieved.”
In a press release, Flores’ attorneys mentioned whereas Goodell’s memo seems to be a optimistic first step in confronting systemic racism within the league, they “suspect that's it extra of a public relations ploy than actual dedication to alter.”
Flores, who's Black, was fired as Miami’s coach final month regardless of back-to-back profitable seasons. He named the league and three groups — the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants — in a class-action lawsuit this week alleging unfair hiring practices within the NFL.
After the lawsuit was filed, the league mentioned it will defend itself towards claims it mentioned have been “with out benefit.” The Dolphins, Broncos and Giants additionally denied Flores’ allegations.
Goodell took a softer strategy to Flores’ claims in his memo.
“We perceive the considerations expressed by Coach Flores and others this week. Whereas the authorized course of strikes ahead, we is not going to wait to reassess and modify our methods to make sure that they're in step with our values and longstanding dedication to range, fairness and inclusion,” the commissioner wrote.
Flores’ most severe allegation is his declare that Ross informed him he would pay him $100,000 for each loss throughout the coach’s first season as a result of the proprietor needed the membership to “tank” so it may get the highest draft choose. The Dolphins went 5-11 that 12 months; the Cincinnati Bengals went 2-14 and used the No. 1 choose on quarterback Joe Burrow, who led the staff to this season’s Tremendous Bowl.
“We additionally take significantly any subject regarding the integrity of NFL video games,” Goodell’s letter mentioned. “These issues shall be reviewed totally and independently. We anticipate that these unbiased consultants will obtain full cooperation from everybody related to the league or any member membership as this work proceeds.”
Ross pledged his staff’s full cooperation into an investigation on Thursday when he labeled Flores’ accusations “false, malicious and defamatory.”
Flores additionally contended that the Broncos and Giants performed sham interviews, Denver’s in 2019 and New York’s throughout the present hiring cycle. Critics of the Rooney Rule have lengthy contended that many groups complied with the rule by interviewing minority candidates they'd no intention of hiring.
Attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, who symbolize Flores, mentioned they have been skeptical that Goodell’s memo would result in significant adjustments and referred to as on a court docket or authorities company to nominate a federal monitor to supervise the league.
“For too a few years, the NFL has hidden behind the duvet of foundations that have been supposed to guard the rights of Black gamers and coaches, all whereas letting systemic racial bias fester in its entrance workplaces,” the attorneys mentioned of their assertion. “The NFL is now rolling out the identical playbook but once more and that's exactly why this lawsuit was filed.”