NFL to strengthen inclusion policies, probe allegations of tanks

RELATED PRESSURE

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday that the league will look to strengthen policies to encourage minority recruiting, especially head coaches, and he is committed to investigating the allegations. vandalism brought by Brian Flores in a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

“We will be re-evaluating and examining all policies, guidelines and initiatives related to diversity, equality and inclusion, including where they relate to gender,” Goodell wrote. in a memo for 32 of the league’s clubs obtained by the Associated Press.

The commissioner added that the league’s record for hiring minority coaches is “unacceptable.”

The memo comes five days after Flores sued the federation and three teams over allegations of racist hiring practices by coaches and general managers, saying the league remains “fraught with racism”. even as they openly condemn.

The NFL’s main way to increase leadership diversity is the two-decade-old Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for jobs including head coach and general manager. governor. Despite the rules, there’s currently one black head coach in the league: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. There are no black team owners, just a handful of black GMs and relatively few black coordinators in a league where more than 70% of players are black or another minority.

Goodell said the league will include outside experts in the assessment along with “current and former players and coaches, supporters and other authorities in the field. Our goal is simple: make our efforts and those of the clubs more effective to achieve real and tangible results. ”

In a statement, Flores’ attorney said while Goodell’s memo appeared to be a positive first step in confronting systemic racism in the league, they “suspect that it more a public relations ploy than a commitment to real change.”

Flores, who is black, was fired from his job as Miami’s coach last month despite consecutive winning seasons. He named the league and three teams – the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants – in a class-action lawsuit this week alleging unfair recruiting practices in the NFL.

After the lawsuit was filed, the union said it would defend itself against claims it deemed “null and void”. The Dolphins, Broncos and Giants also denied Flores’ allegations.

Goodell took a softer approach to Flores’ claims in his memo.

“We understand the concerns of coach Flores and others this week. While the legal process is underway, we will not wait to re-evaluate and revise our strategies to ensure that they align with our values ​​and our enduring commitment to diversity. diversity, equity and inclusion,” wrote the commissioner.

Flores’ most egregious allegation was his claim that Ross told him he would pay him $100,000 for every loss in the coach’s first season because the owner wanted to fish him out. “tank” club to get top draft picks. The Dolphins went 5-11 that year; The Cincinnati Bengals lead 2-14 and using the No. 1 pick is quarterback Joe Burrow, who has led the team to the Super Bowl this season.

“We also take seriously any issues regarding the integrity of NFL games,” Goodell’s letter reads. “These issues will be scrutinized and independent. We expect that these independent professionals will receive full cooperation from everyone affiliated with the federation or any member club as this work gets underway. ”

Ross pledged his entire team would cooperate fully on an investigation on Thursday when he labeled Flores’ accusations “false, malicious and defamatory”.

Flores also alleges that the Broncos and Giants conducted fake interviews, of Denver in 2019 and of New York during the current hiring cycle. Critics of the Rooney Rule have long argued that many teams comply with the rule by interviewing minority candidates they have no intention of hiring.

Attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, who represent Flores, said they doubt that Goodell’s memo will lead to meaningful changes and called for a court or government agency to appoint it. a federal supervisor to oversee the league.

The attorneys said in their statement: “For too many years, the NFL has hidden itself behind the guise of platforms that allegedly protect the interests of Black players and coaches, while allowing for systematic racial prejudice occurring in his office. “The NFL is now re-releasing the same book and that’s exactly why this lawsuit was filed.”

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