Earlier this week, John Elway found himself at the center of controversy when Brian Flores made several noteworthy claims against the NFL, providing specific accounts of those who he feels have wronged him in his pursuit of becoming a head coach of a pro football organization. One of those allegations mentioned Elway and the Denver Broncos stemming from the last time Flores was in the hiring pool, in 2019.
Flores alleges that the Broncos interviewed him a few years ago, but that it wasn’t an honest head coaching opportunity. He says he knows this from how unprofessional the setting was when Elway and president and chief executive officer Joe Ellis showed up to the meeting likely hungover from the night before.
“Broncos’ then-General Manager, John Elway, President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Ellis and others, showed up an hour late to the interview,” Flores alleges at paragraph 21 of his complaint. “They looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had [been] drinking heavily the night before. It was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule, and that the Broncos never had any intention to consider him as a legitimate candidate for the job. Shortly thereafter, Vic Fangio, a white man, was hired to be the Head Coach of the Broncos.”
Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL, including John Elway. (H/T Pro Football Talk)
If true, it’s a very serious claim, and one the NFL shouldn’t take lightly. However, they already appear to have shot down the allegations of the class action lawsuit. So it’s no surprise to see John Elway hopping in line to follow suit with what the NFL says.
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John Elway publicly responds to Flores’ “false and defamatory claims”
Why does each public response have the same feel to them? It appears as though the NFL has already lawyered up and sent an internal, private memo to all 32 teams as to how to handle this public embarrassment by the league.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross also used the same verbiage “false and defamatory”, in his latest attempt to discredit the coach he once hired.
Really? You don’t think what’s happened to Brian Flores has been defamatory enough? It’s time for the NFL to quit playing these games behind the scenes. Flores appears to have some real proof, with others potentially ready to hop on board, with even more data to back up his experience. This storm is only beginning.
