The first episode of "Talking Shop," a conversation between Seahawks legends Walter Jones, Cliff Avril, Marcus Trufant, Jordan Babineaux and Ben Obomanu, premieres Tuesday on YouTube.
"Let's talk about race in sports," Jordan Babineaux says to a group of fellow Seahawks Legends, kicking off the first episode of "Talking Shop" a series of conversations on various off-field and real world topics between Babineaux, Walter Jones, Cliff Avril, Marcus Trufant and Ben Obomanu.
The first episode, titled "Accountability and Allyship," will premiere Tuesday at noon on the Seahawks YouTube channel. "Talking Shop" will air monthly, with three more episodes scheduled this spring.
In the first episode, the group of Legends set out to have, as Babineaux explains it, "a real conversation and bring to you some of our insights and experiences as Black men not only in sports, but in America."
The conversation starts off with a discussion about Brian Flores, who was fired by the Dolphins after the 2021 season, and who in turn sued the league and three NFL teams alleging racial discrimination.
Obomanu, who is now an attorney, touches on the topic of allyship, noting owners and white head coaches need to step up and do their part if the league is serious about addressing the lack of minorities in head coaching and front office roles.
Avril adds that the lack of Black head coaches makes it harder for current assistants to see a realistic path to the top jobs: "Representation matters. If you don't see that, you don't believe you can be that."
The Super Bowl champion and Pro-Bowl defensive end also made it clear that Black coaches and people in general aren't looking for handouts, "We just want an even playing field, and we'll go from there. But give us a real opportunity to get those positions."
Avril explains that he tell his kids, "You don't have to just be a player, you can be an owner, you can be somebody in the front office…. But if you're not seeing it, it's hard to believe it."
Be sure to check out the Seahawks YouTube channel at noon on Tuesday for the full conversation.
