The NFL has struggled to respectfully represent the diverse country. Although the Washington team’s name no longer includes a racial slur, the former head coach for the Miami Dolphins has sued the NFL and three teams alleging racism in their hiring practices. The coach also alleges that he was asked to deliberately lose games in order to position the team for early draft picks. Listen to hear about the coach’s experiences and the NFL’s history of working toward greater diversity among its top leadership.
Story Length: 5:16
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March 4, 2021
5:03
NFL coaching has become more diverse in recent years, but most top positions continue to be held by white men. Only five of the league’s 32 head coaches are minorities. While more people of color and women have become qualified for leadership positions, they are not being hired for the top jobs. Listen to a sports writer describe the problem of discrimination within the NFL, and learn whom he blames for the league’s failure to diversify its leadership.
Read MoreAugust 20, 2020
5:05
The Washington Redskins football team is changing its name, which has been considered a racist slur against Native Americans for decades. The team’s owner recently took action in the midst of nationwide protests against racism and America’s reckoning with its treatment of minorities. Listen to hear a Native American activist react emotionally to the football team’s decision and learn which events she thinks created a “tipping point” for the team owner.
Read MoreApril 2, 2019
3:55
Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, the first two NFL players to kneel on the field during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, have reached a settlement with the NFL. Kaepernick and Reid alleged that NFL teams were working together to keep them out of the league and filed grievances with the NFL. Listen to hear from a sports writer about what the players may have won in the settlement and what impact their actions have had.
Read MoreMarch 6, 2018
4:04
Research on former players of the National Football League shows that brain injury is linked to repeated blunt impact. But little is known about the connection between football, brain damage, and young players. A scientist in Texas studied football players between 8 and 18 year old and measured how their brains changed after one season. They used sensors in football helmets to tell how hard the players were getting hit. Listen to hear the results of this study and suggestions for preventing these injuries.
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