Brian Flores is not letting the three teams that spurned him find an out within the NFL system in his racial discrimination lawsuit. The Miami Dolphins are seeking secret arbitration for the case, and Flores wants the NFL to reject the request.
Flores’ systemic racism and discrimination lawsuit across the NFL targets the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins. However, the Dolphins are seeking arbitration.
The fact that the team doesn’t want this to go to trial in an open court setting means one thing: the narrative won’t be favorable.
Flores Wants No Arbitration
On Wednesday, according to reports, Flores’ lawyer went on the offensive, issuing a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The letter reportedly encouraged Goodell to deny the request by the Dolphins in favor of the courts.
“Arbitration is not transparent,” Flores’ attorney Douglas H. Wigdor wrote in the reported letter. “Indeed, arbitration is by its very nature a secretive process that takes place behind closed doors and outside of the public eye.
“The lack of transparency in arbitration only serves to continue the status quo-which in this case, is one that you have conceded must be fairly evaluated and potentially overhauled,” the letter continued. “That cannot happen in arbitration. In addition to being secret and confidential, it is a well-accepted fact that arbitration presents a barrier to justice for victims of discrimination and other misconduct.”
Just in: Brian Flores' lawyers push back against the Dolphins' bid to move his case to arbitration, saying the league should seek to have the case heard in open court — "If the League is genuinely interested in eradicating discrimination and ensuring the integrity of the game"
— Ben Fischer (@BenFischerSBJ) March 9, 2022
If Its Up, Its Up
Flores was already beating the odds when he was hired as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. By hiring him, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made a historic Black power move, something we desperately needed in the NFL.
During his final season with the New England Patriots, Flores was the defensive play-caller, winning in Super Bowl LIII.
The head coach of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons starting in 2019, Flores led the team to a 24-25 record. However, when the Dolphins fired Flores with two years left on his contract, the move was suspect.
Brian Flores files a letter to oppose sending case to arbitration. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/eMt92hN088
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) March 9, 2022
Flores Stands Alone
Flores stands alone in a world where no one wants to be the test subject in challenging the NFL’s inherent racial bias. His fight against arbitration cements his resolve to stay the course and block any attempts to derail the exposition trail he is blazing.
“The claims that we filed involve important issues of systemic race discrimination and the integrity of NFL football games,” Flores said in a statement according to reports.
“Unfortunately, the Dolphins and their attorneys, Quinn Emanuel and Paul Weiss, are trying to push the claims against the Dolphins into secret arbitration proceedings that lack transparency. There are currently ongoing legislative efforts to end forced arbitration for claims of race discrimination, which I fully support,” it continued.
Brian Flores lawyers wrote commissioner Goodell seeking to block the Miami Dolphins efforts, disclosed in the letter, to move the coach's lawsuit into arbitration
— Daniel Kaplan (@KaplanSportsBiz) March 9, 2022
Brian Holds Steady
“I would hope that the NFL and Dolphins would also support those efforts. Commissioner Goodell now has a choice to make. Will he allow this case and future race discrimination claims to play out in a transparent and public legal process, or continue along the same unacceptable path?”
It’s safe to say that Flores is trying to push the game forward whether the NFL is ready or not.
