Former Oklahoma star gives take on Brian Flores lawsuit, NFL ownership

As Brian Flores files a lawsuit against the NFL and several of its teams, the conversation about minority representation in the NFL has reached the forefront. From former players to analysts, everyone is now discussing what changes can prevent the type of allegations brought against the league and its owners.

Former Oklahoma star and nine-year NFL veteran wide receiver Kenny Stills took his thoughts on the Brian Flores lawsuit to social media, calling for a drastic change in the wake of the latest racially driven controversy.

“The answer is diversity in ownership,” Stills posted on Twitter.

Shahid Khan, of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kim Pegula, who owns the Buffalo Bills along with her husband Terry Pegula, are the only two minority owners in the NFL. They come from India and South Korea, respectively, and are joined by Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wolf, born in Germany, as the only NFL owners born outside the United States.

Less than 10 percent of the ownership group represent minority groups, despite roughly 71 percent of the league’s players coming from minority backgrounds, according to NBC News.

Changing those numbers is a long-term project given the nature of the league, which has seen just four ownership changes in the past decade, including Khan and Pegula’s bids. In addition, the NFL has five franchises which have not been sold since at least 1933 thanks to family inheritances and the Green Bay Packers public model.

As the NFL comes under fire publicly and in Brian Flores’ lawsuit, the lack of minority voices in the room becomes more evident for the league which has also never held a minority commissioner. As it stands, the only section of the league operation which holds a significant minority presence is the NFL Players Association.

More on Brian Flores lawsuit

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has filed a lawsuit against the NFL and the New York Giants, claiming they demonstrated racist practices in choosing their next head coach. The document contains personal text messages with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and includes a description of a dinner with the Giants front office.

In a series of text messages with Belichick, who Flores formerly worked under, it was revealed that the Giants would hire Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as head coach three days before a scheduled interview.

“Sounds like you have landed – congrats!!” read the first message from Belichick.

Flores then asked if his former boss heard something around the league he had not, but it was later revealed that Belichick thought he was talking to Daboll and not Flores.

“Sorry – I f*cked this up,” Belichick wrote in a later text. “I double checked & I misread the text. I think they are naming Daboll. I’m sorry about that.”

According to the lawsuit, Brian Flores claims that the New York Giants proceeded with his interview in an attempt to satisfy the NFL’s Rooney Rule before officially naming the coach they already agreed to a deal with previously.

The legal document also read, in part: “Mr. Flores was forced to sit through a dinner with Joe Schoen, the Giants’ new general manager, knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll. Much worse… Mr. Flores had to give an extensive interview for a job that he already knew he would not get – an interview that was held for no reason other than for the Fiants to demonstrate falsely to the League Commissioner Roger Goodell and the public at large that it was in compliance with the Rooney Rule.”