As the annual event of firing coaches in the NFL has come and gone, one thing is starting to stand out in a concerning manner. The discussion of African-American candidates is now an afterthought.
The Rooney Rule, where teams have to interview a minority before hiring a head coach, has become comical. As the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have hired their head coaches, can you name the African American let alone minority coaches that were interviewed? For the record Andy Reid, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Doug Marrone, who had a 25-25 record while coaching at Syracuse, were hired.
As for the other teams, the only name that has been mentioned, beyond the local boundaries, as far as an interview is concerned is Ray Horton, a defensive coach for the Arizona Cardinals. It has been rumored that Horton will be the defensive coordinator no matter who they hire as a head coach, even if it’s Vince Lombardi.
The system has turned out to be the latest in NFL mockery. It’s the old “wink, wink” system now. Let’s find the black guy by the water cooler, ask him if he ever thought about being a head coach, and when he says, “Yes,” thank him and move on to take care of the good old boy.
Yep, that’s the ticket. Let’s just fake it long enough to appease the bleeding hearts and then go on about business as usual.
The Rooney Rule was designed to give minorities the opportunity to get some interviewing experience as well as finding the next Mike Tomlin or Tony Dungy. Instead it has become an inside joke, with lip service from the commissioner to the point of stupidity. And you wonder why the NFL is a joke on the field.
Also at fault is the media. A well-placed word about a so-called up-and-coming defensive or offensive coordinator never hurts when broadcaster do games. Yes, owners watch the games and will inquire about the prospect only because a talking head has a relationship or perhaps an agent in common with the aspiring head coach. Strange, but true.
Ever taken notice of how many coordinators of color are in the NFL? In many cases it is the only way they get jobs to be head coaches (see Leslie Frazier, Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin or Romeo Crennel). No, they did not have one of these media slobs championing their cause on a talk show or during a broadcast.
Good minority coaches are being overlooked in favor of guys who have either turned down jobs, used the process to get a raise (see Chip Kelly of Oregon and Brian Kelly of Notre Dame) or do not have the credentials.
So the next time you see one of these coaches at the press conference when they get hired, ask who were the minority interviews and how long did those interviews last?
Oprah open for confessions
One used to seek the refuge of a church for confession and cleansing. In this day and age of forgiveness and contrition, such is no longer the case. Now, when you have a big problem, just go to Oprah.
Earlier this week, noted cyclist and cheater Lance Armstrong threw himself on the mercy of Oprah and finally fessed up to the crimes of doping that we already knew about. Pardon me if I do not shed a tear, as Armstrong has carried the lies for years. His work for cancer awareness is noble, to say the least, which is why some have tried to help him move on with the sins he committed.
The general thinking is that Armstrong is going through the motions with the Oprah confession so he can some day compete. There are a couple of issues that need to be considered here.
First off, no one will trust him. After all, he never failed a drug test, yet he admitted to cheating as his doctors were ahead of the posse.
Second, no one really cares. I must remind you this is the sport of cycling that Armstrong embarrassed. A sport that has more cheaters than the tea party has would-be Klansman. So why would anyone care what Lance Armstrong does with his life?
When an athlete cheats and looks for forgiveness, is all now forgotten when he goes on Oprah and sheds a tear? Nothing against Oprah, as she is the queen of the great come-clean interview.
At some point, the so-called act of contrition has to have more punishment than a pat on the back for being brave and coming forth. I can only say, “Sorry, Lance,” no sale here.
