Brian Flores: Suing the NFL for “racist hiring practices.”

Multiple sources are reporting that Former Dolphins’ Head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL for racial hiring practices. Now, this story is new but its already running off the damn rails.

This has been said to stem from a violation of “The Rooney Rule” which was further inflamed by text message from Bill Belichick.

The Rooney was named after the late Chairman Dan Rooney (late owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers).

The focus of the rule was to bolster the number of minority candidates in efforts to create diversity in a league that had very little. The NFL has even gone on to give compensatory picks to organizations who lost a “…minority executive or coach to another team, that team would receive a third round compensatory pick for two years. (NFL.com)”

The Rooney explicitly states that organizations must interview two minority candidates for all head coach or upper management positions. Brian Flores was said to have been interviewed. The claim, however, was fueled after Bill Belichick congratulated Flores for the Giants head coaching position but later apologized to Flores advising that he messed up (not in these words).

Now according to Chicago 5 news, it was stated that interviews were not conducted in “good faith” and that (to paraphrase) the NFL is interviewing candidates solely to satisfy the rule than to truly assess the candidates on merits and accomplishments.

Now, to the Nitty Gritty.

If this is a true and accurate statement of the issue, by what means are the NFL subversively hiring non minority candidates? The NFL developed a policy that bolsters the numbers of minority candidates in some cases under qualified for the position. In the NFL some candidates have clout and reach than others regardless of race.

Could the complaint be valid?

Sure! There are tons of organizations who satisfy requirements all the while knowing that they already have their guy (or gal). Unless there was sufficient evidence other than a mistaken text by another coach this complaint misses the mark.

Is there possibly more to the complaint?

Maybe. I am sure that counsel representing the dissatisfied party in this case saw a case to be made (or just wanted clout but let’s ignore that part). Often times, counsel would relinquish or withhold (legally of course) bits of information to the public to bring attention to the case and to win it. I don’t see much of a case as it stands, but I also don’t have “All’ of the information.

What I hope to see.

I hope that the NFL is taking necessary steps to vet its candidates properly. This vetting should include assessing each candidate based on their ability and not because of race. Race (or whatever qualifies as a minority) should allow candidates who would otherwise go unnoticed the ability to lay their abilities on the table.

So, what do you think? Does the NFL need more parameters placed within the Rooney rule? or is Brian Flores scorned?