Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock
PresidentJoe Bidensaid the NFL should be held to a “reasonable standard” when it comes to hiring head coaches of diverse backgrounds — and that filling those positions with more Black candidates would be a matter of “generic decency.”
“Think about it: The whole idea that a league that is made up of so many athletes of color, as well as so diverse, that there’s not enough African American qualified coaches ‘to manage these NFL teams,’ it just seems to me that it’s a standard that they’d want to live up to,” Biden, 79, in a portion of aninterview with NBC News anchor Lester Holtthat aired Sunday beforeSuper Bowl LVI.
“It’s not a requirement of law,” Biden added, “but it’s a requirement, I think, of just some generic decency.”
In alawsuit filed earlier this month, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins Brian Flores alleged racial discrimination in his dismissal from the team as well as the league’s hiring practices.
Flores, who is Black, said in the complaint that he hopes to “shine a light on the racial injustices that take place inside the NFL and to effectuate real change for the future” and seeks to “increase the influence” of Black individuals in hiring and termination decisions for top positions within the league.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the accusations in amemo sent to teamsin the wake of the lawsuit.
“We will reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender,” the memo said. “We are retaining outside experts to assist in this review and will also solicit input from current and former players and coaches, advocates and other authorities in this area.”
Mark Brown/Getty
In his sit-down with Biden, Holt asked the president if the NFL should be held to a higher standard because of its “broad influence.”
During last year’s Super Bowl, Biden addressed the long-standing controversy and spoke about why it’s important to bring diverse candidates to high-profile positions.
“It encourages and it emboldens, and it gives confidence to so many people who’ve been left out,” hetold Westwood One Sports.
In the same interview, Biden mentioned what he saw as a positive impact that stemmed from his decision to select Vice PresidentKamala Harrisas his running mate in the 2020 election.
“When I picked a Black woman to be vice president, I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of little girls just said, ‘I can do that,’ " the president said at the time. “It matters, it matters. And I don’t understand why they cannot find, because they exist, so many African-American coaches that are qualified, that should be in the pros in my view.”
source: people.com
