NFL Confirms Commitment to Diversity

 

NFL commissioner is bucking the trend of major corporations, companies and politicians who are coming out against diversity and DEI initiatives. He announced the National Football League would NOT be ending its efforts to improve opportunities to people from minority backgrounds.

On Monday, Roger Goodell affirmed the league’s commitment to inclusion, saying the league’s efforts to broaden its hiring practices aren’t the result of some fad. He said the NFL was better with a diverse workforce.

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing. And we’re going to continue those efforts,” he said. “We’ve not only convinced ourselves, but I think we’ve proven ourselves it does make the NFL better. We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in, or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent to the National Football League.

"It does make the NFL better," he added. "We're not in this because it's a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent." 

And this is big news. An impressive 72 of the 100 most-watched telecasts last year were NFL games. This isn't an organization that's easy to ignore.

“For us, there’s no requirement to hire a particular individual on a basis of race or gender,” he explained. “Our policies have been designed to be well within the law, well within the practice. There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL.”

Goodell's position likely has a lot to do with lived experience. He has a gay brother, and has said that
supporting the league’s queer employees is non-negotiable.

“Both publicly and privately, I’ve made clear that if any member of the NFL family comes out, we will have their back,” he said.