Culley Out as Head Coach / Lovie Smith Hired

[barrett]

I am guessing Flores isn't getting this job (good for him) since he just announced he is suing the NFL for racist hiring practices. If we were honestly considering hiring him I can't imagine he'd be bringing this suit. Looks like we are going to pass on him because he's too qualified and we prefer guys who have never been a coordinator (or ideally have never coached ever).

[chuck]

OR, it'll come to pass that he's the only guy who'll accept the job.

I like this Gannon motherscratcher, by the way. He does not appear to be a total idiot by any stretch. I hope he's devout. He already has the head coaching experience required (none).

[Keith]

I find it captivating that Flores noted in his suit focusing on the league's racist hiring practices that the Dolphins' owner in 2019 was incentivizing him with $100k bonuses to lose games. Kinda feels like how the Texans might have felt about David Culley and him getting the ragtag underachievers to beat the front-running Titans this season.

There were so many shady player suspensions just prior to a gametime in 2021, and Caserio said before the season started that success would not be measured by wins.

Anyhoo, would seem that Flores is out of the running, leaving Gannon, McCown, and presumably O'Connell still in the mix to be the next head coach of the Texans.

[Keith]

Cross off O'Connell. He is going to the Vikings.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

I find it captivating that Flores noted in his suit focusing on the league's racist hiring practices that the Dolphins' owner in 2019 was incentivizing him with $100k bonuses to lose games. Kinda feels like how the Texans might have felt about David Culley and him getting the ragtag underachievers to beat the front-running Titans this season.

There were so many shady player suspensions just prior to a gametime in 2021, and Caserio said before the season started that success would not be measured by wins.

Anyhoo, would seem that Flores is out of the running, leaving Gannon, McCown, and presumably O'Connell still in the mix to be the next head coach of the Texans.

If that part is true, it just means the Dolphins owner is stupid. You can't be that obvious even in house. Hugh Jackson made similar claims today but said it was a coded message where the Browns owner (who knows about skirting rules and laws) told him there were bonuses for a younger team and things like that.

The funny part of this whole sad affair is there is not one part of it that raises to the level of mildly surprising. Obviously teams lose on purpose. Obviously the Texans paid a black coach to oversee the losing before hiring another coach to have a chance to win. Obviously NFL owners are racially motivated in their hiring practices. I just doubt any of that results in a legal victory for Flores. But it will likely result in a boardroom victory for black coaches. The NFL will have to actually change their practices now that it's big news.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by barrett

The NFL will have to actually change their practices now that it's big news.

I'm skeptical how much will actually change though. They changed their hiring practices around the time of the introduction of the Rooney Rule when maybe just Tony Dungy was about the only black head coach. And for whatever a sham that rule has since become, there was an increase in the hiring of minorities for awhile in the years since. It just seems to be at its lowest point now than it has been in a couple decades.

I'm not sure how the league adds more teeth to the rule, probably in how it just enforces/penalizes the existing rule. But the teams and owners are going to do what they're going to do.

[chuck]

I like how they named the Rooney Rule after a white guy.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

I'm skeptical how much will actually change though. They changed their hiring practices around the time of the introduction of the Rooney Rule when maybe just Tony Dungy was about the only black head coach. And for whatever a sham that rule has since become, there was an increase in the hiring of minorities for awhile in the years since. It just seems to be at its lowest point now than it has been in a couple decades.

I'm not sure how the league adds more teeth to the rule, probably in how it just enforces/penalizes the existing rule. But the teams and owners are going to do what they're going to do.

I don't think any rule will change things. But if the bad press hits the bottom line, or even threatens to, I wouldn't be shocked if owners just decide in a backroom that 'X' number of them just need to go hire black coaches to remove the media eyes. In the end this is just 32 rich guys who do get together and decide what happens more than any rule does. If those guys just decide to hire some black coaches it all changes without rules.

[nunusguy]

Denver Broncos announce they're up for sale, ending 38 years of ownership by Bowlen family
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Will Oprah or another Black billionaire lead a group to become the first black majority owned NFL franchise ?