WITHIN THERE’S ONE BLACK HEAD COACH IN THE NFL. NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE OF COLOR IN
THE EXECUTIVE AND HIGHER
COACHING LEVEL POSITIONS.
I THINK IT’S PAINFUL FOR EVERY
BLACK OR MINORITY PLAYER, COACH,
EXECUTIVE, THAT THIS BE THE WEAR
2022 AND WE’RE STILL DEALING
WITH A A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS.
>> THAT WAS BRIAN FORREST, THIS
WEEK ALL OVER TELEVISION WITH A
BOMBSHELL STORY, THE LAWSUIT HE
FILED AGAINST THE NFL AND THE
DOLPHINNINGS, THAT HE SAYS THAT
THEY ALLEGEDLY, THEY FIRED HIM
IN A WRONG WAY AND HE COULD NOT
GET ANOTHER JOB AS CANNOT MANY
OTHER BLACK CANDIDATES FOR
COACHING.
>> HE ACCUSES DOLPHINS OWNER OF
BRIBING HIM TO LOSE GAMES IN THE
2019EE SON SO THE TEAM COULD GET
A TOP DRAFT PICK.
ALLEGATIONS THAT ROSS IS CALLING
FALSE AND MALICIOUS AND
DEFAMATORY.
THE INDUSTRY IS FOOTBALL BUT THE
SCHIS RACISM.
AND FOR THAT WE TURN TO THE
CHAIR OF MIAMI DADE COUNTY’S
BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD AND
GOOD FRIEND OF OURS, STEVEN
JOHNSON IS WITH US.
WE MISS YOU SO MUCH ON THE
ROUND-TRIP AIRFARE TABLE HERE
BUT GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
>> STEVEN.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
>> GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ONE POINT
KNOWN AND THAT IS THE
BLACK-- ADVISORY BOARD HAS A NEW
CHAIR, PIERRE RUT LIGE.
>> WE WILL CALL YOU THE CHAIR HE
MERIT US.
>> STEVEN JOHNSON, LET ME ASK
YOU FIRST TO PUT ON YOUR LAWYER
HAT, YOUR VERY GOOD LAWYER.
YOU HAVE LOOKED AT THE LAWSUIT
THAT BRIAN FLOOREST
FILE-- FLORES FILED THROUGH HIS
LAWYER, HE IS UP AGAINST STEVEN
ROSS, A BILLIONAIRE, THE NFL, I
MEAN THIS IS GOING TO BE TOUGH
SLEDDING.
WHAT ARE HIS CHANCES HERE?
>> SO WHAT HE HAS DONE IS HE HAS
TIED HIS BOAT TO THE BOATS OF A
LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE LIKE COLIN
KAEPERNICK AND OTHER COACHING
CANDIDATES AND BROUGHT IT AS A
CLASS.
BY BRINGING IT AS A CLASS HE IS
ONLY SAYING HE IS ONE OF MANY.
SO THESE THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT
BE AS BAD THAT HAPPENED TO ME,
HERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES.
LET’S ALL GO BEFORE A JURY
TOGETHER.
NOW IT’S HARD TO GET A CLASS
CERTIFIED.
BUT HE’S GOT A POINT WHICH IS IT
IS THE-- IS A SHAM AND
INTERVIEWING OF BLACK COACHES IS
ONLY DONE TO CHECK A BOX AND NOT
TO GIVE THAT PARTICULAR
CANDIDATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
BECOME A HEAD COACH IN THE NFL,
THEN THAT IS WRONG.
AND I THINK THE NFL IS GOING TO
HAVE SOME PROBLEMS.
YOU KNOW, THERE’S SOME-- THAT
PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
APPARENTLY 11 OF 32 HEAD COACHES
ARE RELATED TO FORMER COACHES OR
EXISTING COACHES.
25% OF COORDINATORS ARE RELATED
TO OTHER COORDINATORS.
THE NFL HAS A PROBLEM.
IT KNOWS IT.
BUT IN THE LEAGUE THAT IS OVER
50% BLACK AS FAR AS PLAYERS AND
PARTICIPATES, THE PERCENTAGE OF
BLACK HEAD COACHES IS ABSURDLY
LOW.
>> SO IN THE LAWSUIT TO YOUR
POINT, THE BRONCOS AND THE
GIANTS ARE ALSO NAME CHECKED.
AND TODAY AS A MATTER OF FACT
THE NFL PUT OUT A MEMO THAT SAYS
IT’S REVIEWING, QUOTE, REVIEWING
OUR DIVERSITY PRACTICESES
UNQUOTE.
SO DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU SOUNDS
LIKE THE LEAGUE KNOWS IT HAS A
DIVERSITY PROBLEM OR IS THIS A
PR STAIVMENT OR-- I DON’T WANT
TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
SO LET ME ASK.
I AM THROWING THE BALL TO TU,
YOU TAKE IT.
>> REMEMBER, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
A LEAGUE THAT JUST 18 YEARS AGO
THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT THE BLACK
QUARTERBACK WAS FIT TO RUN A
TEAM.
THIS IS NOT THE EYE DEAL LAND OF
OPPORTUNITY AND EQUALITY.
AND ST NOT A MERIT OCTOBER SEE
IT IS NOT THE BEST PERSON SHALL
PROSPER BECAUSE COLIN KAEPERNICK
STILL IS SIDELINED EVEN THOUGH
YOU HAVE JOURNEYMAN WHO ARE IN
THEIR 11th, 129 AND 13th
YEAR NEVER HAVING-- FOR A TEAM
LET ALONE A TEAM TO THE SUPER
BOWL.
SO UNDERSTAND FIRST THAT THE NFL
IS A COUNTRY CLUB, RIGHT.
AND THEY ACT LIKE THEY ARE A
COUNTRY CLUB.
IT IT IS NOT A MERITOCRACY.
THE FANS SHOULD BE INCENSED, NOT
THAT THEIR TEAM WAS PLAYED FOR A
DRAFT PICK, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD
BE INCENSED THAT THEIR
ORGANIZATIONS ARE TELLING THEM
HEY, WE’RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN
WHICH IS A LIE.
>> SO THE REASON FOR TERMINATION
PUBLICLY FOR BRIAN FLORES’
TERMINATION IS POOR
COLLABORATION.
SO WE’RE ALL WATCHING SOMETHING,
WE’RE ALL LISTENING TO
SOMETHING.
AND I WANT TO HEAR HOW YOU GET
FROM POOR COLLABORATION TO WAKE
UP AND LOOK AT THE RACISM.
>> WELL, IT’S REALLY SIMPLE,
RIGHT, THERE IS A THING IN BLACK
COMMUNITIES THAT IT IS ON US TO
BE BETTER AND WORK HARDER THAN
OUR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.
THOUSAND THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT
FAIR BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
WE UNDERSTAND IMPLICITLY.
FOR BLACK COACHES IT IS EVEN
WORSE, IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE
THIS COACH WENT 0-AND-16 AND THE
FANS HAD TO SIT THERE AND LOOK
AT THE COACH THE FOLLOWING YEAR
AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WE ARE TALKING OF COURSE ABOUT A
COACH THAT DELIVERED BACK TO
BACK WINS OVER THE PATRIOTS.
BACK TO BACK WINS OVER THE JETS,
AND TWO WINNING SEASONS FOR A
FRANCHISE THAT WAS STRUGGLING.
RIGHT, SO IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE
THAT MAN HAS TO SAY I HAVE GOT
TO LOOK AT THE FANS EVERYDAY, I
HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY
EVERY DAY THAT I REPRESENT, BUT
I AM TOLD TO ACTIVELY TANK.
THAT IS AN ABSURDITY.
WE SHOULD ALL-- BE INCENSED JUST
ABOUT THAT PORTION OF IT.
AND DON’T BE SURPRISED THAT IT
IS NOT THE ONLY INCIDENT, RIGHT.
BUT ASK YOURSELF, IS THAT WHAT
WHAT HE WANT IN OUR SPORTS,
SPORTS IS THE ULTIMATE DISPLAY
OF MERIT MERIT, RIGHT, IS THAT
WHAT WE WANT IN OUR PROFESSIONAL
SPORTS.
I ALSO NOTE ONE MORE THING, THE
"MIAMI HERALD" POSTED THEIR OWN
FINDINGS WITH THE USE OF RACE
AND EXISTENCE OF A PROBLEM IN
THE NFL.
WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY DIDN’T
LOOK AT HOW BLACK COACHES WERE
TREATED.
THEY TOOK PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND THAT’S THE WRONG QUESTION TO
DID, RIGHT, BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY
MIGHT HAVE A COMPLICATED
RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOT OF
DIFFERENT GROUPS.
BUT IT HAS A VERY UNIQUE
RELATIONSHIP WITH HOW IT HAS
TREATED BLACK PEOPLE, FROM THE
START.
SO FOR ME, LOOKING AT THIS, THE
NFL CERTAINLY HAS SOME PR
PROBLEMS, IT CERTAINLY IS GOING
TO BE ASKING A LOT OF THE BLACK
PLAYERS THAT IT SAYS TRUST US,
YOU HAVE YOUR BEST INTERESTS IN
MIND, RIGHT, TO CONTINUE TO
TRUST THEM.
TO TELL THEM HEY, AFTER ARE YOU
DONE PLAYING, YOU CAN HAVE A
SPOT HERE COACHING.
BUT YOU CAN’T BECAUSE SOME GUY
WHO HAS ONLY PLAYED LACROSSE,
AND I’M TALKING ABOUT BELL
BELICHICK, IS OCCUPYING A
POSITION THAT YOU MIGHT BE GREAT
FIT FOR.
>> STEVEN JOHNSON, I’M GOING TO
HAVE TO JUMP IN HERE AND SAY
THANKS FOR YOUR INCITES.
WE VALUE YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR
POINT OF VIEW.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE THIS
CONVERSATION.
THE LAWSUIT IS GOING IT TO GO ON
FOR SOME TIME I SUSPECT.
>> OUR ACHILLES HEEL IS ALWAYS
TIME, STEVEN, THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, AND
EVERYONE SHOULD BE --.