Brian Flores’ firing affects our diverse community

When I heard that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross sanctioned the firing of head coach Brian Flores, I thought: “Can a brother live?”

Meaning, can a Black man do well, be appreciated, live his dream and win?

Miami has seen all sorts of mediocrity in coaching. The Miami Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, is the most overrated coach in American sports, yet he has a job. Flores wins 19 games in two years with an average roster, and he’s fired.

The day after the New England Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl, Flores was hired as the Dolphins head coach, after 15 years as a Patriots assistant.

As a season ticket holder — and one who has had tickets to every game in London — and a longtime fan, it was a breath a fresh air. As an African American, it was an honor to know my team had a Black coach who also was Hispanic. In a league where 70% of the players are Black and 50% of our community is Hispanic, Flores represented inclusion, access and opportunity.

Flores is an unparalleled defensive-minded coach from a winning franchise that dominated the AFC East for 19 years, winning all but two titles. Yes, he struggled in his first year with the Dolphins.

Ross is an absentee owner who lives and works in New York. He swoops in on game day and has no idea what’s happening on the ground the rest of the week. I know more about the inner workings of the team than he does. He’s not a fan.

What kind of bull is this?

This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Brian Flores’ firing affects our diverse community."