NFL may face investigation over mistreatment of women and minorities in the workplace
The NFL has been issued a stern warning from six attorney generals that they may face investigations for workplace harassment of women and minorities.
The league has found itself in quite a conundrum recently. There have been several complaints and lawsuits alleging that teams and league officials have neglected to ensure a workplace that is safe for all and free from any form of harassment.
Charean Williams of NBCSports was a recent guest on Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio. She had this to say about the current state of the NFL and a possible investigation that may be heading its way:
"I don't know if there has been a worse calendar year in NFL history than what we've seen over the last calendar year when you think about the Brian Flores litigation and what might still come out of that. When you think of Jon Gruden getting fired off of the Commander's investigation. Dan Snyder's involvement with the congressional hearings as well as the the Cowboys voyeurism cheerleader scandal. Deshaun Watson has 22 ongoing civil lawsuits. He still faces that. "
Williams concluded her statement by highlighting recent investigations that the league is currently dealing with:
"How much more is going to come out of this? How much more is going to come out of Brian Flores (investigation)? How much more is going to come out of the Washington Football Team (investigation)? This to me is just bad for the NFL and it's been a bad calendar year and I don't know how much worse there is to come out."
Can the NFL bounce back from a year of scandals?
The league has been rocked by several scandals and investigations that have done their part to take attention away from arguably the greatest sport there is.
The league has never been immune to scandals, but the frequency with which they have occurred over the last year has been somewhat eye-opening.
Ex-Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores alleges in a lawsuit that the NFL is racially segregated and "managed much like a plantation" — charging that its 32 owners, none of whom are Black, profit from the labor of its players, 70% of whom are Black.
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From Brian Flores' lawsuit against the league alleging racial discrimination to Deshaun Watson being allegedly accused of sexual assault, the league has been able to steer the course and continue to be at the forefront of fans' minds.
This is why Deshaun Watson, from the beginning, welcomed a police investigation: He felt he knew that the truth would come out. And today, a grand jury did not charge him on any of the criminal complaints.
Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals drew impressive viewership. 101.1 million viewers watched the big game on television while an additional 11.2 million viewers streamed it online.
These ratings made it the most-watched Super Bowl in the last five years. Three years ago, when the Rams were in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, the game drew 100.7 million viewers.
As long as the NFL continues to enthrall audiences with its exciting pace of play, it's likely that the investigation and scandals will not deter its ratings.