Brian Flores: A Profile in Courage

Welcome again to the Bill Bradley Collective, where this week your hosts revisit the NFL’s Rooney Rule in the wake of Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the league alleging racial discrimination of minority coaches and executives. Flores’ lawsuit comes on the heels of his termination as Dolphins head coach and his discovery, thanks to former boss Bill Belichick, that the New York Giants had settled on Bills coordinator Brian Daboll to be their next coach BEFORE Flores was scheduled to interview for the same position. Another coaching cycle has passed, and again many well-credentialed minority candidates have been passed over, yet again in the case of many. It is not merely a hiring issue, but a retention one, as well, for teams have been proven to give black coaches far less margin for error and minimal in the way of consideration should a minority coach be seeking a second opportunity. Finally your hosts predict what effect the Flores suit will have both on the obsolete Rooney Rule and the NFL hiring process for minority candidates. But first we rant, as Zak leads off with both an extended tribute to the heroism of the brothers Klitschko as they take up arms on behalf of their native Ukraine in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and a broader look at the war in its first week; Ed takes a figurative flamethrower to despicable anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida and Texas targeting trans children gay and trans children and their families; finally Andrew examines the hiring of disgraced ex-Baylor head football coach Art Briles by of all places, former HBCU powerhouse Grambling State.