NBA Legend Says He Refuses To Watch NFL Until Teams Hire More Black Coaches
"Watching the way the NFL is treating Black coaches has me p**sed off. Plain and simple."
A former NBA player says he's done watching the NFL until teams start hiring more black coaches.
In fact, he's pointing the finger at organisation owners, claiming white coaches actually get jobs in the NFL way easier than black coaches.
In the wake of the firings of Brian Flores at the Miami Dolphins and David Culley at the Houston Texans, ex-Miami Heat star Chris Bosh says their treatment was totally unfair, blaming it squarely on the colour of their skin.
"Watching the way the NFL is treating Black coaches has me p**sed off. Plain and simple," Bosh tweeted.
"Until they fix this, I cannot keep spending my weekends supporting the league."
Bosh, who was recently inducted into the Hall Of Fame, penned a personal essay for The Last Chip discussing his views on the matter.
"A lot has changed over the past year - but there's one thing that sure as hell hasn't. And as frustrated as I was about it twelve months ago, I'm downright mad now," Bosh wrote.
"I'm talking about football's head coach problem. Specifically, its lack of Black ones. If we're talking about equal opportunity or diversity or any other word you'd use, it doesn't exist in the NFL unless you're an athlete risking your life on the field.
"Over the last few weeks, I've watched the discrimination behind that disparity play out in real time. I'm happy anytime anyone gets a job, but it sure seems like the white guys are having an easier time becoming head coaches and general managers nowadays, while Black coaches are held to an entirely different standard."
As it stands, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the only black coach in the National Football League.
"I want to be able to watch the Super Bowl next to my kids, knowing they'll see people who look like them on the field and the sidelines. I want them to know that the next great strategic mind might belong to a coach who isn't necessarily white," Bosh added via Twitter.
"Because I know they're out there, future Belichicks and Lombardis and Maddens who happen to not be white men. Football needs to promote those who have proved themselves-and keep them around."
Topics: Chris Bosh, Brian Flores, American Football, NBA, David Culley, NFL, Australia
Max Sherry