Column: Who would dream of letting the NFL judge its own racism?

A Supreme Court justice allowed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to decide whether NFL hiring practices remain racist, despite Goodell’s role in protecting the league. The same justice, Brett Kavanaugh, had a long-standing friendship with Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, including Bidwill advocating for Kavanaugh’s confirmation using the team’s official website. When an NFL owners-related decision reached the court, Kavanaugh should have recused himself. The case stems from allegations by Brian Flores, a Black coach, that the Giants interviewed him under misleading circumstances after Bill Belichick texted the wrong Brian with congratulations before Flores’s interview, suggesting the team had already chosen Brian Daboll. The NFL sought settlement through league-controlled arbitration and tried to avoid Supreme Court involvement, while Flores also cited additional supporting history.

"Just one of the nine Supreme Court justices thought it was appropriate for Roger Goodell - whose primary job as NFL commissioner is to protect the league - to decide whether the NFL's hiring practices are still racist. And it happens to be the same justice whose close friend is an NFL owner."

"Obviously when a decision related to NFL owners came before the court, Kavanaugh should have recused himself. But by now we're used to justices ignoring their own ethics rules. What I find most disturbing in this instance is Kavanaugh's dissent."

"Here's how the hiring discrimination case came to be: Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick texted the wrong Brian with congratulations for getting the New York Giants' head coaching job, according to a lawsuit filed by former Dolphins head coach and former Patriots assistant coach Brian Flores, who is Black. In the 2022 suit, Flores said the Giants interviewed him for their vacant head coaching job under disingenuous circumstances. How can we tell? Because Belichick's congratulations came three days before Flores' interview with the Giants."

"The NFL has spent the last three-plus years attempting to settle the dispute through NFL-controlled arbitration and fought to keep it out of court. The league lifted its appeal to the Supreme Court after failing to get Goodell in position to handle it via the lower courts."

Read at Los Angeles Times