CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Legendary radio announcer Kevin Harlan says he’s confident that the NFL will thoroughly investigate the accusations Brian Flores made against his former team.
Referring to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Harlan, a guest Thursday on “The Donlon Report,” said, “When things like this come across his doorstep, he is very quick to act.”
Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL this week, alleging racist hiring practices against the Dolphins, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos. The suit claims that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 per loss in 2019, hoping to get the No. 1 overall draft pick. He also claims that the Giants and the Broncos both interviewed him with no intention of offering him a head coaching job, just to comply with the league’s “Rooney Rule” to interview minority candidates.
Harlan said he believes Flores due to the substantial evidence he has against the Dolphins. He said the NFL would not take this lightly if one of the league’s members has committed a massive breach of integrity.
“Integrity is the baseline of all corporations, of all leagues, and the NFL has thrived with the kind of integrity that has propelled them to the most famous sport in this country and one of the best worldwide.”
Harlan also discussed the recent tanking allegations in the league. He said although it has happened in other sports including the NBA, it’s pretty hard to believe that the players in NFL would even think about participating in purposely losing a game.
“I think it’s hard to really tank,” Harlan said. “And I say that because these players have got contracts coming up, right? Every game is on tape, and they study these kids, and they know their futures are on the line. If they don’t perform, I can’t think of a player that would move off of that.”
This will be Harlan’s 12th consecutive year to call the Super Bowl. The legend has done it all. He has hosted nine consecutive Super Bowls — from 45 through 53 — as well as the Final Four and countless NBA games. In 2017, he was awarded National Sportscaster of the Year, and he’s said he wouldn’t give up his job for anything in the world.
“I love the business,” he said. “And I love the voice because voice and radio in particular means so much. You can dictate what the listener, you know, pictures in his or her mind and that’s a great challenge.”
He also talked about one of his most rememberable play-by-play calls — during last year’s Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs when a large man in a pink thong streaked across the field.
“It was a part of the game. And if you were in the stadium, that’s what you saw. And I called what I saw, and I’m actually sorry I saw it now,” he said jokingly.
Harlan said this year’s Super Bowl matchup is an unexpected one, but it will be one to watch.
“I think the game is going to be a lot closer than people think,” he said.