Citing Brian Flores’ ‘Can of Worms’ Lawsuit, Ana Navarro Says Rap Halftime Show Doesn’t Let NFL ‘Off the Hook’ on Diversity

Ana Navarro praised the Super Bowl halftime show but said the NFL’s celebration of rap music on Sunday in Los Angeles does not absolve the league for its lack of Black head coaches.

Sunday, much of the country watched rappers Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar perform on stage with R&B singer Mary J. Blige.

The roughly 14-minute performance was hailed as one of the best shows in years, and celebrated as a blast from the past from one of hip-hop’s golden eras.

Still, the league’s embrace of Black culture does not absolve the league for failing to offer black candidates head coaching positions, per Navarro.

On The View on Monday, she commented on the halftime show, referring to it as “great”:

I thought, just when you thought you had seen, then there would be somebody else showing up on top of that rooftop. Let me tell you, I did get a little nervous when I saw 50 hanging from the, you know,  rafters… I was like, ‘Oh my God, he’s upside down, he’s singing upside down, I hope he’s holding on!” I thought it was terrific. Snoop Dog was magnificent. The entire thing was great.

Navarro then criticized the league for its lack of minority head coaches.

She said, “I do want to say though, as celebratory as it was, as wonderful as it was, I think it’s important not to let the NFL off the hook, and not to lose the focus on the conversation about racial equity in hiring management and hiring coaches.”

Asked to explain, Navarro invoked a lawsuit against the NFL from recently-fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who is Black:

Brian Flores. I think Brian Flores has opened up a can of worms that should not — this is great, and this was a celebration of hip-hop, and it was all of these wonderful Black artists, plus Eminem, doing their thing, and we should applaud the NFL for doing that.

Navarro concluded, “But you know what? You got to hire some coaches.”

Watch above, via ABC.