Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has some newfound support by way of music and fashion mogul Kanye West. Flores is currently suing the NFL, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants and unidentified individuals for what he calls discriminatory and racist hiring practices.
Flores’ suit specifies how minority coaches, specifically Black coaches are severely underrepresented. There are just two Black coaches (and Mike McDaniel) holding down the 32 NFL head coach jobs. Flores has accused teams of giving sham interviews to Black coaches to satisfy the stipulations dictated in the Rooney Rule, knowing they already have a coach selected.
Flores wasn’t hired by any of the teams during the hiring cycle, which isn’t surprising as he opened a class-action suit against the league for racial discrimination in hiring practices. Unsurprisingly, some players and media members have distanced themselves from Flores, but the former coach received some support this week from an unlikely source.
Is Kanye West becoming the crusading savior for high profile Black men who feel persecuted by the system? It’s certainly not a bad look, but it reeks of one of Kanye’s “projects” like his evangelism with Joel Osteen, or his on-again, off-again support of former President Donald Trump.
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However, with Antonio Brown already in the fold as Donda president, adding Flores to the team in some capacity definitely gives Kanye’s Sports Academy some legitimacy. Brown is a future Hall of Fame wide receiver and Flores is one of the rising coaching stars in the NFL. Both men came from humble beginnings to reach the apex of their professions. They both speak the language of today and are fearless human beings in many ways, risking the bag to “fight the establishment,” which is never easy.
Kanye West took a break from his celebrity beefs Tuesday morning to post in support of former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores.
— FOX29WFLX (@FOX29WFLX) February 15, 2022
On Instagram, “Ye” as he’s affectionately known, sent Flores a message …. in all CAPS!
“ME AND MY DAD ARE ON THE PHONE AND HE BROUGHT YOU UP TO ME. SENDING YOU LOVE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT.” West then posted a screen cap of a post that said: “BLACK FUTURE MONTH! BRING HIM TO DONDA SPORTS.”
Kanye cosigns bringing Flores (NFL Coach) to Donda Sports pic.twitter.com/cOFkEyt85X
— Ye Streams (@kanyestreams1) February 15, 2022
Flores was fired in Miami even after posting consecutive winning seasons. He was then mistakenly sent a congratulatory text from Bill Belichick for getting the Giants job without having interviewed yet. The text was meant for Brian Daboll, who eventually was hired. Flores also accused the Denver Broncos of similar tactics in 2019, a sham interview before they then hired Vic Fangio. Flores also alleges the Dolphins offered him $100K for every loss to help them tank for better draft position in 2019.
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. pic.twitter.com/Y686XcjYC3
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 1, 2022
Kanye West is no stranger to controversy, as he once donned a MAGA hat in support of former President Donald Trump. He even met with Trump on numerous occasions while he was in office. So, adding someone like Flores would just add to his eclectic blend of friends he’s acquired and disposed of over the years.
Antonio Brown announces he's president of Kanye's Donda Sports. https://t.co/SkkWrt2KX9
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 7, 2022
Seeing West come to the defense of Flores is not a surprise. He likes to go against the grain, as evinced by his hiring AB as president. West must feel he can help Flores keep his name in the sports/coaching realm while this plays out. The hope with Flores’ lawsuit is there is some sort of systemic change. But don’t hold your breath on that, it hasn’t changed all these years, so don’t expect it to now.
After the Texans announced they hired Lovie Smith today, Brian Flores’ attorneys released this statement: pic.twitter.com/3njAv54YC5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 8, 2022
The Future of Donda Sports
Donda Sports has its hands in a lot of pots. They have a powerhouse prep basketball team that’s playing a national schedule. Rumors are Kanye West has expressed a desire to become part of media tycoon Byron Allen’s bid to buy the Denver Broncos. It doesn’t stop, as the brand is set to release sneakers and apparel in the coming months.
Adding someone with the résumé and experience of Brian Flores could be a brilliant move. Adding a nationally-recogized football program could be Yeezy’s next move. Football is usually the easiest way to increase revenue at most schools, and that is something Donda Sports has probably already looked into. It’s imperative for its long-term success.
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Deep pockets help too, as Kanye reportedly has a net worth of more than $6 billion. Donda Sports also has sentimental value for Kanye as it was named after his late mother and is the creative brand that he founded.
Kanye, AB and Flores could be coming to a city near you in the not-so-distant future.
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