Brian Flores Lawsuit against the NFL and Dolphins

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 Brian Flores’ Lawsuit against the NFL and the Miami Dolphins: An Analysis

 

 

Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores made headlines earlier this month when he
shockingly filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three NFL teams—the NY Giants, the Miami
Dolphins, and The Denver Broncos. It is a class-action lawsuit with unspecified damages and
centered around systemic racism and discrimination in the NFL hiring process. Flores would
later amend his lawsuit to also include the Houston Texans Organization after the team hired
Lovie Smith over him.
Among the 58-page long document, the lawsuit contains information relating to a text exchange
between New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and Brian Flores. In this exchange,
Bill Belichick informs Brian Flores that he likely has gotten the Head Coaching job from the
New York Giants and congratulates him, this is even though the New York Giants did not yet
have their interview with Brian Flores until later that week. Later in the exchange, Flores writes
if Belichick may be mistakenly texting him thinking that he was texting Brian Daboll, another
former assistant to Coach Belichick and the then offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
Belichick admits that he made that same very mistake and proceeds to apologize. The reason
why this text exchange seems so relevant to the lawsuit is that it gives credence to the idea that
the job essentially was already being offered to Brian Daboll even before Flores was given an
opportunity to interview for the position.
Brian Flores would go on to have an interview at ESPN where he and his attorneys would
criticize these so called “back-door dealings” and advocate for more transparency in the coach
hiring process, especially considering the Rooney rule. The Rooney rule took effect in 2003 to
encourage and provide equal opportunities for minority head coaches in a sport that lacks
diversity both in coaches, front-office positions, and owners. The Rooney rule requires NFL
teams to interview at least one diverse candidate per vacant coaching or front office position.
Flores’s lawsuit also claims that Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross tried to pay Brian Flores
$100,000 for every loss, to “tank” the 2019 season for a higher draft pick. The NFL’s
commissioner, Roger Goodell has taken a firm stance to investigate these allegations and has
made it abundantly clear that “tanking” would not be tolerated. If the allegations are proven true
than it is possible that Stephen Ross may be forced to sell the team if three fourths of the leagues
owners choose to do so.
Flores also alleges that Ross tried to introduce Flores to a prominent Quarterback in the
offseason before the Free Agency period, which would be tampering and is a serious accusation.
In addition, Flores claims that the Miami Dolphins purposely leaked information that falsely
paints him as a difficult person to work with thereby making it more difficult for him to find a
new position in the offseason. Stephen Ross responded to these allegations calling them
“defamatory”. If these claims made by Flores are proven true, then Stephen Ross and the Miami
Dolphins organization can find themselves in deep trouble. Those claims also can provide a
different perspective on Brian Flores’ firing, as they indicate that he may have been let go due to
a strained relationship resulting from his lack of cooperation to successfully “tank” in the 2019
season or commit tampering. Whatever the case may be, Stephen Rosses’ integrity is being

called into question and if the claims are proven true than there will be serious consequences that
may extend even beyond the Miami Dolphins organization.

Written by- Alan Martin