Rooney Rule Might Be Expanded
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.--The NFL is considering expanding its minority interviewing rule to include openings for general manager positions as well as head coaching vacancies, Commissioner Roger Goodell said here today.
The rule currently requires any team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority candidate.
It is widely known as the "Rooney Rule" after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, the chairman of the league's workplace diversity committee, and has been credited for the increase in the league's number of minority head coaches in recent years.
Goodell said the issue was discussed at a two-day NFL owners' meeting that concluded today. He said he will discuss the matter further with Rooney and the rule could be expanded soon thereafter to include GM jobs or equivalent front office positions.
"We are contemplating, and it will be a judgment that I will make with the diversity committee, about whether we expand the current Rooney Rule--which, as you know, deals with head coaches--whether we should expand that to general managers," Goodell said. "It's something that we've discussed with our people for many years and we think everyone is exceeding the policy on the coaches' side and we might very well make it mandatory on the general manager side or the chief football person."
Goodell said that any change "could be implemented almost immediately. It's something that I think I'll speak to Dan about.... We'll make a determination from there."
The Fritz Pollard Alliance, the group formed to promote diversity in hiring at all levels of the NFL, has pushed in the past for the rule to be expanded to include front office positions.
By
Mark Maske
|
May 20, 2009; 11:39 AM ET
| Category:
Diversity
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League
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Posted by: Barno1 | May 21, 2009 11:05 AM
The NCAA needs to have a "Rooney Rule" for College Football. At least has the NFL has 6 of 32 teams. The NCAA is like 3 of 120.
Posted by: wlamp | May 20, 2009 4:16 PM
Um.....the Rooney rule isn't discriminatory in any way, nor is it a "quota" system in the sense that is usually meant. It merely requires that a minority candidate be interviewed. The team can still hire whoevery they want, regardless of race, and there is no requirement that a certain percentage or number of coaches hired be minorities. The worst that can happen is a team has to schedule one more interview than intended. I don't see how that is illegal or discriminatory...
Posted by: grimesman | May 20, 2009 3:46 PM
The Steelers had already interviewed a minority candidate -- Ron Rivera -- before they talked to Tomlin. He was therefore not brought in to adhere to the rule named for the owner: he was simply the best man for the job.
Posted by: aruffner1 | May 20, 2009 2:12 PM
The Rooney Rule is illegal. It stands in direct violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. At some point, the NFL will get sued over it and the Rooney Rule will be challenged in court, and handily defeated. Mark my words.
Posted by: Barno1 | May 20, 2009 1:48 PM
There is no conflict on the field of football. With few exceptions, coaches put the best player at every position on the field because they are measured by wins and losses irregardless of skin color.
That has not been the case with the hiring of coaches. Also, no need to be upset about the rule, all that is being asked is that they at least consider/interview a minority candidate. No one is holding a gun to their head to hire a minority.
I wonder if Mike Tomlin would have had the chance to coach if the rule wasn't in place?
Posted by: cys868 | May 20, 2009 1:04 PM
I knew the birdbrains would comment on this one. Congratulations, "Chirp1." If you think the owners wouldn't give up a family jewel for a talented white running back, you're half a halfwit. Meanwhile, black coaches have won two of the past three Super Bowls and coached half the participants. And only because the owners were forced to give them a chance.
Posted by: edwcorey | May 20, 2009 1:03 PM
There is a racist double standard with these quotas. If we're going to do it, let's also do it right. We also need to enact the "Hoge Rule," i.e. before a black running back is named a starter the team has to try out at least one white running back to avoid discrimination.
Posted by: chirp1 | May 20, 2009 12:24 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Um.....the Rooney rule isn't discriminatory in any way, nor is it a "quota" system in the sense that is usually meant. It merely requires that a minority candidate be interviewed.
Posted by: grimesman | May 20, 2009 3:46 PM
grimesman, actually it is blatantly discriminatory. Forcing the NFL owners to interview a candidate based on the color of his skin is a direct violation of Title VII. Suppose an owner tells his GM he wants him to bring in the 5 most qualified coaches for interviews, no more no less. The GM reminds the owner that they need to fill the quota for a minority interview, and the owner says that's fine but we're only going to interview 5 coaches.
The GM then has to make sure that one of the 5 includes a minority, even if said minority is not among the top 5 most qualified for the job. So if none of the top 4 coaching candidates are minorities, then the GM must find someone who is. And as a result, whoever would have been the 5th most qualified coach does not get the interview due to the Rooney Rule. That's discrimination, and it's illegal.
As I said before, it is only a matter of time before a lawsuit is brought against the NFL and the Rooney Rule is defeated in court.