‘It’s Been a Tough 24 Hours’: Former Dolphins Coach Brian Flores Speaks Publicly for the First Time Since Filing Discrimination Lawsuit Against the NFL
There are watershed moments in life where someone risks it all to benefit the greater good.
Those moments have produced prophets and pariahs in history alike as those who are called know the jeopardy involved.
Head coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Enter NFL Coach Brian Flores.
The coach, who says he understands the risks involved and is doing this because “we need change”, has filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams: the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and his former team, the Miami Dolphins.
Flores alleges discrimination regarding his interview processes with the three teams, especially his firing last month by the Miami Dolphins. Flores was a coach in South Florida from 2019-to-2021.
On Tuesday, the 58-page lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court, showing that Flores is seeking class-action status. Dozens of other Black NFL figures could be eligible to join the suit.
On Wednesday, Flores and his attorneys Doug Wigdor and John Elefterakis sat down with “CBS Mornings.” Before jumping into the meat of the lawsuit, Flores thanked his supporters for standing behind him. ‘It’s been a tough 24 Hours.’
Setting the stage for his motivation for filing, Flores acknowledged that the issue is a known-known. “We didn’t have to file a lawsuit for the world to know that there’s a problem from a hiring standpoint in regards to minority coaches in the National Football League. The numbers speak for themselves.”
He continued, “We filed the lawsuit so that we could create some change. And that’s important to me. I think we are at a fork in the road. We are either going to keep it the way it is or go in another direction and actually make some real change in where we are actually changing the hearts and minds of those who make decisions to hire head coaches, executives, etc.”
The Receipts
Flores alleges that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross attempted to incentivize him to “tank” or purposely lose games shortly after being hired in 2019.
According to reports, allegedly, Ross offered Flores $100,000 for every Dolphins loss that season. In addition, Flores said that he was penalized for winning.
Flores contends that as the team won games late in the season, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told him that Ross was “mad” and that success was “compromising [the team’s] draft position
The Yacht Compromise
Additionally, Flores alleges that the team owner tried to influence him unduly in major player recruitment decision-making. According to reports, Ross pressured him into recruiting a “prominent quarterback” at the end of the 2019 season; however, the coach would not violate the NFL’s tampering rules.
To find out more about Brian Flores’ historic lawsuit against the NFL for racial discrimination and the ramifications of his bravery, click here.