Jay-Z's songs to "challenge" Stills

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores has passionately defended his decision to play eight consecutive Jay-Z songs in Tuesday's practice, just one day after receiver Kenny Stills expressed contempt for how the hip-hop mogul had treated his NFL social justice partnership.

As the word of the waterfall rocked through social media and the Internet, many speculated on why Flores had apparently been tracking down one of his veteran players. On Thursday, after the Jugars' 22-7 Dolphins pre-season win, Flores emotionally explained his reasons behind the action. He stated that critics seeking to know he supported what Stills defends are unfounded.

"It was a challenge for Kenny to perform regardless of what's going on outside," Flores said of playing Jay-Z's songs. "I would say, and I told him, it was not as good during the training camp, or as I saw it, so it's the challenge: to be open, catch the football and make games for this team, regardless of what's going on outside this building. "

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This decision seemed disconcerting at the time, as it caused another distraction for a Dolphins team littered with stories other than football this month. It was a distraction caused by Flores, who spoke very visibly in front of the media in response to a concern that he thought could be a distraction for one of his players.

Flores' decision to play Jay-Z's songs in training – an overnight decision, given the coolness of Stills's comments about Jay-Z – could be seen as a former head coach Patriot playing Jedi mind games with one of his main actors.

But Flores said that he had put his words behind now. He made it clear that as a coach of the Dolphins, he could motivate his players as he pleased. He pitched the challenge to Stills in front of the team once the Jay-Z playlist was completed. Then, after being surprised by the media attention that this story generated, Flores said he stood up in front of the team the next day to tell them he was supporting Stills and the protest of the players.

"We talked about it internally and he managed it internally," Stills said. "Basically, I think it was up to him to see if I could stand if people would heckle or play against Jay-Z in another stadium if I could be mentally strong enough to support that kind of treatment. with this since 2016 – music, boos, racial insults.So, I do not think that a bit of Jay-Z's music is going to wring my feathers so badly. "

Since 2016, Stills has been on the front line of the NFL player protest movement. In every game, including Thursday night, Stills had a knee high during the national anthem to raise public awareness of police brutality, social injustice and systemic oppression.

Flores seemed surprised that his support for Stills' cause was in question. He took a breath and explained why he was so tied to the protests of Stills, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid.

"Honestly, they draw attention to my story," said Flores, a native of Brooklyn (Brownsville), in the state of New York. "I am a son of immigrants, I am black, I grew up in poverty, I grew up in New York at the time of the excavations, so I was stopped because I matched a description before, so all these guys protest, I lived, I lived them, so I applaud them, so whether Kaepernick or Eric Reid or Kenny, I applaud these guys. I told Kenny at our meeting before the whole team.

"I do not know how many people have, but I've lived it, so I understand why guys are protesting, and it's important, and you know what else is important to me?" There are 89 guys in this locker room who are counting on Kenny to be open, catch the football and play for this team.It's important to me.And if anyone has a problem with that, then we just have a problem.We will accept not to agree.I think it's important and that's where I stand on this thing. "

The Dolphins obviously want to move on and return to football. Always says that he does not believe that it is a big problem.

"It's just music," said Stills, adding that he did not want it to be more of a distraction than it already is.

The rest of the dolphin cloakroom seems to be taking it to heart, even going as far as to add it.

On Monday, Stills criticized Jay-Z for forming a social justice partnership with the NFL, particularly for his remark that "we went down on our knees and I think it's time to move on to the next". action."

"This is not an NFL player – he has never been on one knee," Stills said earlier this week. "Choosing to talk to people like he's been talking to people … I'm wondering how many ordinary people he knows or talked to .. I wonder if he's read my comments on Facebook, my comments on Instagram or some people tell me.To say that we spend something, it did not seem very informed. "