and we got plenty to talk about
over the course of the next hour. Serena Williams Mike
Florio. The show is PFT p.m. Originally. The amended
complaint, Brian Flores litigation was expected for
Friday April 8th. It was filed today
to new plaintiffs
two, new teams, actually three new teams
because Brian Flores is added another team to his claims and
we're going to break it down and sharing. It doesn't feel as
Monumental as the first
filing
but
We've now taken 1.
Minority coach who has done, what I think the NFL believed
would never be done and we've tripled that number and I can't
help but wonder whether or not others as more and more join
the cause will decide there is both strength and safety in
numbers and
decide as we learn more about this, as we hear more about
this, as we get more comfortable, with this reality
to join in the fight. I think at this point, Mike, you're
going to be more surprised if more black coaches, don't join.
Suit that then if they do, I mean I would expect many more
to join it because you're right. There is a safety
number. You look at a guy like David collie who lasted one
year with Houston
and the Texans are. Now in this complaint. Maybe he decides
to join this suit. That makes sense.
But I'm with you,
I think there's going to be more to join this suit. It
doesn't seem as Monumental. I mean we knew it was coming
because you had reported that previously but the first
lawsuit Mike that's when it really hit the fan and now
It's just more and more and more and more things are coming
out. And the light is now shining on this huge problem
for the NFL.
Let's start with because there's two new plaintiffs
Steve Wilkes. Who was the Arizona Cardinals coach
for one year and then Ray Horton who was a candidate to
be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2016. The
job went to
Mike Mularkey. Let's start with that one
and
A question that some may have.
How can Ray Horton? Wait, six years
to file this lawsuit?
How can the statute of limitations, have not run?
I think the argument will be
that Horton didn't become aware.
And didn't believe
that his interview was a sham.
Didn't believe that the
determination that they would hire Mike Mularkey was
pre-made until he heard
Mike Mularkey. And what I think is an incredibly jarring
honest courageous.
Comment, Mike, Mularkey, appearing on a podcast,
September of 2020. The Steelers realm podcast Malarkey of
former player, I believe and definitely coach. With
the Steelers
asked, a very open-ended question.
Gave a very specific answer. Here it is.
Oh Mike, if you could turn back the clock where would
probably hate these questions, but would there be anything
during your coaching career, that you might have done
differently or changed?
That's a good question.
I'll help tell you guys this. I've always prided myself and
doing the right thing
in this business and I can't say that's true about everybody
in this business. It's a, it's a,
it's a very Cutthroat business and a lot of guys will tell you
that, but I allowed myself at one point then when I was in,
Tennessee to get caught up in something. I regret.
I still regret it.
But the ownership there,
Amy Adams trunk and her family came in and
told me, I was going to be the head coach and 2016
before they went through the
Rooney Rule. And so I sat there knowing, I was the head coach
and 16 as they went through this
fake hiring process. Knowing I know a lot of the coaches that
they were interviewing knowing how much they prepare to go
through those interviews.
Knowing that everything they could do and they have no
chance of getting that job. And actually, the GM John Robinson.
He was in on the interview with me. He had no idea why he's
interviewing me that I have the job already, and I feel like,
you know, I regret that's
because I pride myself in my,
my kids. First of the do the right thing. I always said that
to the players, and here I am, they had guy not doing it, and
I've regretted that since then, it was a wrong thing to do.
I'm sorry, I did that.
But it was not the way to go about it. Should interview like
everybody else and got hired because of the interview, not
not early on. So that's that's probably my biggest regret.
Predictably, the Titans have denied that it was a sham
interview process, but Malarkey's remarks. Because
when I first saw his quote, I thought
and just assumed incorrectly
as I often do that. There was a specific conversation that Drew
this out of malarkey, not just a very general. Hey, do you
have any regrets and off he went but to me
that was incredibly striking
and it does open the door
for a real conversation about whether or not the Titans did
know that they were hiring. Mike Mularkey before they
engaged in the other interviews. They just checked
the boxes. And as I said earlier today on Twitter
how many other coaches over the past 20 years? If they were
being honest, if they dared to tell the truth would tell
the same story. Mike Mularkey told Sheree.
Well, and that's the thing Mike. This does feel something
like a Smoking Gun, but it was obvious when they're asking him
this question. And he gets done telling the story. They
actually had no idea
what he had just said. I'd like how
newsworthy that was because they said that's a touching
story. And we appreciate you sharing that and then they went
on to something else and I just checked a few minutes ago. It's
got 2355
views. So for 2 years, we never heard anything about this Mike
Mularkey interview. It was kind of buried and now it's come to
light and I don't know how they found it, but maybe they just
did some search and it came up, but it obviously to me
Mike and you know, better than I do because because you're the
Knee. But it does feel like something of a Smoking Gun. The
four candidates. They interviewed that year were
terrible, Austin, Doug Marrone,
Ray. Horton, and Mike Mularkey. And obviously Malarkey had
the job before the other candidates interview. So they work sham
interviews. I mean, they have they have what shows that it
was a sham interview, which if you go back
in history, you called it a sham interview at the time.
Now, we have evidence that it certainly was a sham interview
and this is where it gets a little bit complicated. Because
if I had to throw a dart and guess on how
the lawyer representing the three plaintiffs. Now, in this
case, became aware of the Malarkey comments. If I had to
just make a wild, guess
I would say that Malarkey, made someone aware of it. Yeah,
because when you listen to how Earnest he was in his
explanation, he wanted to make this right. So once the Brian
Flores lawsuit is filed, here's an opportunity to make it
right. Here's a mechanism to make it right. Here's a way
to go, right to the lawyers and say, hey, look,
you guys. Talking about sham interviews.
You haven't even heard the half of it. I can tell you about
a sham interview because I was involved in it. I knew about
it. And here you go. And then Ray Horton.
Who, when we look back at the stories from the time and
Sheree and I got to give you credit, got a better memory
than me. I didn't even think of this
at the time. There were stories that Ray Horton was insulted.
He denied it.
He left the Titans for the Browns
in 2016, because he thought he wasn't given a fair
consideration to become a Head coach had been a member of
the coaching staff there.
And here's the headline, January 18, 2016.
The headline Titans owner knew during search that Malarkey was
the guy
Steve Underwood, the former president of the organization
with still one of the all-time great mustaches somewhere.
During that process. I think it coalesced for Amy and she had
made the decision. She already knew Mike.
She had a comfort level with Mike, but she wanted to reach
out and look around to make sure there was not any other
viable candidates for her in terms of our club and where
we were going. They didn't interview
many people. As you mentioned. It was terrible. Awesome. Doug
Marrone. Right Horton, but the whole purpose of the
Rooney Rule has been
to encourage owners, not
to make decisions.
Before they engage in interviews, to not rely upon a
comfort level. The Comfort level is what's problematic
when the white owner is inherently comfortable with
the white Coach. That's one of the reasons why we have this
problem
in the NFL. So this Cuts, both ways for Ray Horton though.
Because to the extent that Ray Horton is going to say,
I didn't know this was a sham interview
until after Mike Mularkey, said what he said in September of
2020
the response to the Titans going to be. And this is
delicate for them, this Cuts both ways for them.
Well, no, you should have known. It was a sham back in
2016, even though it wasn't,
you should have known.
It was a sham back then, but we're not saying that it was,
but you should have known that, it was a sham. And that's when
the two year window started to transpire. And I'm telling you,
I've lived that life. I guarantee you
that argument is going to be made
by the NFL as it relates to the claims made by Ray Horton.