Bill Belichick's texts main evidence in Brian Flores' racism lawsuit against NFL and Giants
Brian Flores is considered a top coaching candidate during this NFL hiring cycle. Or at least that is what fans are told. That is why it is so strange to keep seeing him get passed up for jobs.
The latest one was with the New York Giants. He likely thought he had a great shot to land the gig, only to see Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll be named the new head man in New York. Daboll is not some awful candidate by any means, but he still doesn't have the head coaching experience that Flores has.
To make matters worse, the former Miami Dolphins head coach was led to believe he had a good shot by former mentor Bill Belichick.
Texts from Bill Belichick to Brian Flores, congratulating Brian for landing the #Giants job.
Belichick thought he was texting Brian Daboll. He was texting Flores by mistake.
https://t.co/Y686XcjYC3
"Sounds like you have landed - congrats!!" Belichick said in a text to Flores. Only the legendary head coach thought he was talking to Daboll. The text string came three days before Flores even had a shot at interviewing for the job, so it would appear the team was set on Daboll at that point, according to Belichick.
That is a problem, and it has now led to a class action lawsuit filed by Flores against the Giants and the NFL. He claims the Giants interviewed him to satisfy Rooney Rule requirements after already deciding on Daboll. The texts from Belichick are his main evidence.
Can confirm reports that ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores has indeed filed a class action lawsuit against the New York Giants and NFL, claiming racial discrimination.
His complaint alleges he can prove Giants interviewed him as a "Rooney Rule" after deciding to hire Brian Daboll. https://t.co/exYjW5qBAA
This is an awful look for the Giants and the NFL in general. The fact that the main evidence comes from Belichick texting the wrong number adds a unique wrinkle to this already fascinating story.
Brian Flores is still seeking a HC job
Flores may actively engage in a lawsuit against the NFL while being employed by a team. He remains active on the interview circuit and is still a top candidate. The New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans are two teams with reported ties to him.
The overall problem here is the way the Rooney Rule is used by NFL franchises. So while the Giants may have been caught abusing the rule, they aren't the first to do so. The rule states that a job opening must feature at least one interview with a minority candidate. This is in place to ensure fairness in the process and help avoid discrimination.
Instead, a team like the Giants may have settled on Daboll for days. They then realized they needed to hire a minority candidate and could have met with the former Dolphins coach just to satisfy the rule. His stature as a great option help remove any suspicions of the interview just being done to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
Belichick may have inadvertently revealed the injustice taking place in the league against a former top assistant of his. The Giants and the NFL won't be happy, but the information leaking out will hopefully lead to necessary change.