The New York Giants issued a lengthy statement Thursday in response to Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit.
In the statement, the Giants refuted Flores' allegation that the hiring process for their head coach position was illegitimate. They also acknowledged the text exchange between Flores and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, which Flores used as evidence of the Giants' wrongdoing. Belichick mistakingly congratulated Flores for earning the Giants' head coaching job when it was actually Brian Daboll who was hired. Flores' interview with the Giants allegedly was scheduled three days after the Giants hired Daboll.
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Here's the part of the Giants statement that mentions Belichick:
The allegation that the Giants' decision had been made prior to Friday evening, January 28, is false. And to base that allegation on a text exchange with Bill Belichick in which he ultimately states that he "thinks" Brian Daboll would get the job is irresponsible. The text exchange occurred the day before Coach Daboll's in-person interview even took place. Giants' ownership would never hire a head coach based only on a 20-minute zoom interview, which is all that Mr. Daboll had at that point.
In addition, Mr. Belichick does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants. Mr. Belichick's text exchange provides no insight into what actually transpired during our head coaching search.
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You can read the full Giants statement here.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Denver Broncos president John Elway also denied the allegations made against them in Flores' lawsuit.
Flores alleges Ross offered to pay him $100,000 for each Dolphins loss in 2019 and pressured him to violate NFL tampering rules in the 2020 offseason. He alleges that Elway and team CEO Joe Ellis "showed up an hour late" to a head coaching interview in 2019 and it "was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before.''