NFL denies allegations
The NFL denied the allegations in a statement. Diversity is at the core of everything the league does.
“Managed Like a Plantation”
The NFL is “Somewhat racially segregated and managed like a plantation”the indictment says: “The 32 team owners – none of them black – benefit significantly from the work of the NFL players, 70 percent of whom are black.” Jeremi Duru classified the Flores case as a “very strong” lawsuit: “I think it’s a turning point”the professor of sports law at American University told the American television network “ESPN“.
The trigger for the potential class action is, among other things, Flores’ dismissal in Miami. He was the first Dolphins head coach since 2003 to have a winning season in two consecutive years. However, he has now been relieved of his duties. “The owners watch the games from their luxury boxes in the stadiums, while their mostly black staff put their bodies on the line every Sunday, taking nasty blows and suffering serious physical and brain injuries.”, Flores’ lawyers railed. Meanwhile, the league and the teams’ owners would make millions of dollars from the spectacle.
“My sincere hope is that others will join”
For years there have been “facts and statistics” that support Flores’ allegations, Duru explained. For example, black coaches have shorter tenures on average than whites, blacks are more likely to be fired after successful seasons, and it is more difficult for them to get a second job. Now a plaintiff has summoned up the courage “to get up and take a big career risk”explained the sports lawyer.
Flores consciously takes this risk: “My sincere hope is that others will join,” according to the former college player, “By taking a stand against systematic racism in the NFL to make change for generations to come.”
Source: dpa/sid/red