I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Thursday, February 3rd.

Two-thirds of the players in the National Football League are black, but head coaches, of the 32 teams, just one black head coach.

And that's after 20 years of a rule requiring candidates of color to at least be interviewed

for those positions and the obvious pipeline of qualified people coming from the ranks of the

player squads. In fact, the National Football League

is, quote, managed like a plantation. That's how former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores,

who grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, by the way, characterized the league in a class action

lawsuit alleging racism and hiring and firing practices against the NFL and

three teams, including the New York Giants, on Tuesday. The lawsuit goes on to say that the NFL's

32 owners, none of whom are black, watch the games from atop NFL stadiums in their luxury boxes,

while their majority black workforce

put their bodies on the line, taking vicious hits and suffering debilitating injuries to

their bodies and their brains where the NFL and its owners reap billions of dollars.

Many players desire to coach for their post-playing careers.

Unfortunately, for black individuals, that is easier said

than done, unquote from the Brian Flores lawsuit. Here's a clip of Coach Flores on ESPN show Get Up

yesterday explaining the basis for the lawsuit as he sees it. We need change, you know,

the hiring practices in the international football league. I mean,

the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, there's one black head coach. The leagues filled with 70%

of, you know, black players. I know they're capable coaches in this league to lead teams.

I have some of my staff. I know, I know, you know, the majority of them, I would say. I know

what kind of integrity and character and leadership

...