When Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross fired head coach Brian Flores over communication issues and friction between Flores and the front office, you knew more was to the story. Things came out on how Flores was difficult to work with and how he treated others. Not every head coach is easy to get along with, let alone work with. Nick Saban and Bill Belichick are considered tough people to work with, even with all their success. Flores is the first coach in almost two decades to have back-to-back winning seasons for this franchise, and yet that wasn’t good enough. Â
Well, Flores fired back yesterday with a class-action lawsuit against the NFL for their racial and hiring practices. In the lawsuit, he mentioned three teams, including the Dolphins. I fully support coach Flores with what he is doing. The NFL should be embarrassed and ashamed that they don’t have a lot of minority head coaches or that they aren’t getting seriously considered for jobs as head coaches. Yes, the NFL has the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates, but let’s be real here that rule is a joke, and nobody takes it seriously. The lawsuit pointed out that the New York Giants had already decided on Brian Daboll as their head coach before interviewing Flores. That was discovered in text messages between Flores and Belichick when Belichick thought he was texting Daboll, and it was Flores without realizing it. Flores, for the job he has done the last few years, should be high on everyone’s list and, in fact, I think he is a better candidate than Daboll. Flores is better than some of the other hires. This is a problem that’s been going on for decades, and Flores has taken a stand good for him. Other candidates like Eric Bienemy, Leslie Frazier, and others have solid resumes and have worked hard that don’t have an opportunity or, in Frazier’s case, the 2nd opportunity; he was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2011-2013.Â
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However, besides the hiring practices, the biggest thing that came out of this lawsuit is that Ross wanted the Dolphins to secure the number 1 pick to get a quarterback in the 2020 draft. He went so far and offered Flores $100k for each loss. That is wrong and is an embarrassment for this once-proud franchise. Flores refused because he doesn’t believe in doing that and wants to win. Flores knew the Dolphins were rebuilding the roster, but he wasn’t going to tank. All of the fans knew the team was rebuilding and the roster assembled in 2019 was talent depleted, but after a rough couple of months got better. We knew the team was trying to tank but didn’t know the owner attempted to bribe Flores so the team would lose. To intentionally throw games is awful, and as a fan, it upsets me. Â
I knew the Dolphins were undermanned, but I was proud of the effort they gave week in and week out. Flores did all he could with what he had. Apparently, that put a strain on his relationship with Ross especially winning the last two games of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, which cost them the number 1 pick. Getting the number 1 pick doesn’t guarantee you will get a great player. I’ve seen so many number 1 picks in my life that were either busts or didn’t live up to the hype, like Jeff George, Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, or JaMarcus Russell, to name some. Â
I think all Dolphins fans had great satisfaction in seeing the Dolphins beat the Patriots in Foxborough when the home-field advantage was on the line for them. As a fan, would you instead secure the number 1 pick or beat the hated Patriots in their backyard the last week of the season to deny them home-field advantage? I choose to beat our hated rival, and if the Dolphins want the number 1 pick to try to make a trade at all costs if you want it. Â
To tell your coach to lose intentionally is a disservice to the fans and disrespect to the game. It’s like point-shaving in basketball, and Ross should go. He has had issue after issue since becoming the owner of the team. From trying to hire Jim Harbaugh when he had a coach and publicly humiliating him in the process to the bully game scandal in which he should have gotten rid of his coach, who for some reason didn’t see it in his own locker room. However, this is worse, and Ross continues to embarrass this once-proud franchise. It’s time for him to give up ownership of the Dolphins and let this team move because he’s been a clown as an owner. Â
No one should be embarrassed or ashamed at this point. These are allegations. You should discuss the timing of this. So it appears that, if these allegations are true, that they were of no concern to Flores as long as he was gainfully employee. The moment he was fired, then he grew a moral compass and all of these alleged activity now need to be brought out in a class action lawsuit. Why did his high character not drive him to disclose these activities when he was still head coach of the Miami Dolphins? The timing of all of this is very convenient and interesting.
No. He had the moral compass by not listening to Ross. It all came to a head and that’s the basis for the lawsuit. Do you expect a head coach to air the team’s dirty laundry and create tension between HC and owner? He has reason to bring this action and reason to expose the NFL for what is truly happening behind the scenes.
Gainfully employed? Do you even hear yourself.
And of course the allegations are true. Why lie about something like that and expect to come back and coach in the NFL. The problem at hand here is that there are 80% minority players on field, and only 1 black head coach lol wtfhow does that work. We had this issue before with black men trying to get qb positions, coordinators, and etc years ago and look at the bs we had to go through just to finally get a qb position. If you don’t think their is an issue in the NFL in regards to racial equality, than you are part of the problem..
A decision to end one’s career for the greater good doesn’t come overnight. It stems from a series of situations built onto creating this decision. He stated that he knew from that point it wasn’t going to be easy and he continued to do his part which I believe was a better part than owner Stephen Ross has been doing. His decision to go public with everything came fro the mistaken text sent by Bill Belichick which basically sent him over the top and realized he would rather risk his future in order to make things right instead of playing in a league which would unethically prevent him from doing what was needed to be done to build a Championship team. Kudos to him. He could have made this team great again.
Exactly! The fact that Flores was allegedly offered this tank deal in 2019 but kept quiet about it while playing the rest of the 2019 season and also the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Apparently, Flores was OK with the bribe offer as long as he kept getting a paycheck as it was only after he was fired in 2022 that he found his conscience. That willingness to keep quiet about the alleged bribe offer says volumes about his own integrity and character. Ross didn’t get where he is by being stupid and to offer such a ‘bribe’ to a kid right out of college who he was unfamiliar with is really stupid. I just can’t wrap my head around why Ross would put his name, reputation, and team ownership, on the line by trying to bribe a rookie right out of college.
With all that being said, I still believe it’s time for Ross to sell, move on and take his lapdog, Grier, with him.
That is a good point!! Seems to me, that when your blatantly wronged , or violated in a way that you know is not ok, then it should be brought to light immediately. If someone waits years, or an extended period of time, before bringing such an instance to light, then it must not have been such a terrible incident in the first place. Now I’m not saying every case can all be lumped together when I say this. Had he reported it at the end of the season, in which he was paid to lose, it would have looked more reputable a claim. Having said that, I think there is merit to what he is saying here, regardless of the delay in coming forward. Ross is a terrible owner! He has never cared about winning, let’s be clear. He has stated several times,in many different ways that profit is priority #1. In most business’s I totally get that. But in the NFL, or pro sports, if you own an team, and your not trying to win, and u don’t have the desire to win, why choose this way to make money??? Many other ways, and they are rich to begin with or they wouldn’t own a team right? Flores needs to stick to the FACTS! not what he thinks is going on with this and that and the other thing. By making comments regardless of whether he is correct or not, about other teams hiring methods, he is only damaging any chance he may have to coach again in the NFL. I think he did a great job with the fins, especially with a terrible GM and Owner whom never had his back and were fine with the misery they bestowed upon US their fans for years… Bad hires, after terrible hires, year after year, and then Flores shows grit and determination to win and bang…. He’s fired!!! You have to give your coach the tools to succeed and if you didn’t like his vision and style then why hire him to begin with ?? Ross is as bad as it gets period and he should sell either way !!!! Give the franchise a fresh start from the turmoil this owner creates!!! If he paid to lose he has lost all respect and should be ashamed for the rest of his days!! Flores must know he has proof, because if not,it’s definitely going to do irreparable damage to his ability to ever coach again in this league. I like Flores and hope for him to prove how corrupt the dolphins organization is !! I’m a lifelong fan and I’m sick and tired of supporting and rooting for an organization destined for dumpster fires!!!
totally missed the point.
Regardless Flores was about Flores period You seriously compared him to Bill B and Saban? Hilarious . Two of the best game planners to ever do it yet Flores didn’t communicate with staff during their 8 game win streak after they started 1-7? The owner is no gem but if you would have kept fluores his coach after hearing about all of this he would be the worst owner in the NFL.
Who is B and Saban men racist is racist and slick spy gate was smart or cheaters . Black coaches should be able coach without back stabbing owners
Bill B wasnt always a great coach and as Dolfans we already know about Nick Satan A.K.A. Nick Da Dick. How do you know what would happened if Flores stayed? You can’t deny that he wasn’t turning the ship around. Now we have to start all over AGAIN! As Mad Dog used to say on WIOD, “THIS IS A DISGRACE!”
I agree Ross should go!
Ross has adamantly denied. Why is Flores given the benefit of the doubt but not Ross? Why should he have to give up his team when you don’t even know the facts? Just because a black coach screams racism doesn’t make it true. Last I checked Ross gave him the head coach job and Greir the GM position. As far as paying to lose where’s that proof? One so called witness to it? Seems the Browns coach claimed the same but just walked it back yesterday. Flores is toxic. Ross isn’t placing himself in a position to lose games at 100k a game when he could work the draft and trades without the scheme becoming outed. It is irresponsible to write this garbage when you have nothing but Flores word and a shakedown underway against the entire league. Broncos executives showed up drunk? Ross will be found innocent. He is being targeted because he is a Trump supporter and wouldn’t bend the knee to the BLM crowd like Stills and Flores. Let’s stop these baseless articles.
wake up the owners are just mob bosses during whatever they want to do to make money. Regardless nothing will change it will blow over an the owners will continue abusing the system to their lacking
remember money talks bs walks an they have both
First, I never cared for either Ross or Flores. In having said that, Flores learned from one of if not the best in the NFL. He was under Belichick’s tutoring for 11 years and acted a bit like him at time’s while coaching the Fins. He had back to back winning seasons and beat Bilichick twice which was a big deal. The BIG Allegation here is about Ross paying Flores off. How is Flores going to prove that Ross offered him money to loose? I wonder if he recorded the conversations? Now it’s just his word against Ross but if he can prove that, it would be the Biggest Story in NFL History something similar to Watergate and Nixon. I don’t think Flores will ever coach again in the NFL even if he can substantiate 100% what he aledges what he said occurred.
Shut the NFL down for a year or two.
I suspect that Brian Flores is being truthful in what he says with regard to “tanking”. But there are two things about his quote of Ross that make it not seem like a credible offer to tank. Here is how Flores quoted Ross:
“Take a flight, go on vacation, I’ll give you $100,000 per loss”
First, “take a flight, go on vacation” during the season? Seriously? That sounds like more like a joke than a serious offer. Moreover, what good is a single loss or even eleven losses? Why would Ross pay $1.1 million for not getting what he really wanted, the #1 overall pick. Wouldn’t a serious offer to tank contemplate a huge single sum bonus for getting the #1 pick? In the light of day, this does not seem to be a serious offer to tank.
Second, if Flores understood the above quote as serious offer to tank, why did he not immediately go to the NFL to report this serious breach of the integrity of the game? Why did he wait three years? More importantly, why did he wait until after it was becoming clear he was unlikely to get another HC job to make these allegations?
Must GO is an understatement..!!!!!!