The Rooney rule Essay Example

minority appliers for that place ( NFL ). This '' Rooney Rule '' was issued to all the squads in the conference. Any squad that violated the regulation would be penalized by the commissioner.

By 2006, the figure of squads with African American caput managers rose from two to seven, and so leveled off. Desiring to spread out from this construct, squad proprietors this June announced they had voted to widen the regulation to cover senior front-office vacancies. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave his full support to the proprietors.

Things came to a caput early on. In 2003, when Detroit Lions President Matt Millen hired a white, Steve Mariucci, as caput manager, then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue slapped his squad with a $ 200,000 mulct ( CBS Sports ). Motivating this drastic action was the fact that Millen had announced his purpose to engage Mariucci in progress, therefore deterring five already-contacted African American campaigners from coming in for interviews. Worse yet, noted affirmatory action advocators, Mariucci's immediate former employer, the San Francisco 49ers, hired seasoned college and pro manager Dennis Erickson over former Minnesota Vikings caput manager Dennis Green, an African American. Erickson, critics said, was a mere ''recycled '' manager who benefited from white tegument privilege.

When you think about it, these instances made the Rooney Rule look good. Mariucci was non-able to turn the Lions into a nice squad. In the 2008 season, they suffered the ultimate embarrassment of a 0-16 season. The 49ers with Erickson weren't much better. The last twelve months ' midseason hiring of an African American, former Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, turned things around. When both these managers were hired though, they

had impressive sketches. Steve Mariucci during his six seasons at the helm of the 49ers ( 1997-2002 ) racked up a 57-39 ( .594 ) combined regular-season win-loss record, taking his squad to the playoffs four times, and with a 12-4 record or better in three of those seasons. His going, really a fire following a postseason explosion with squad General Manager Terry Donahue placed him at the top of any squad's shortlists. As for Dennis Erickson, presently head manager at Arizona State, he had been, and still is, one of the NCAA's most successful managers, with immense success at the helm of Miami and Oregon State. Erickson besides led the NFL's Seattle Seahawks to respectable public presentations during the 1995-98 seasons. It was a fact that Erickson brought a great trade of experience to the tabular array. Dennis Green, in his ain right, had amassed an impressive record, bring forth a.610 cumulative winnings per centum during his decennary with the Vikings, though subsequently, he posted a.333 winning per centum with the Arizona Cardinals. But the idea of that engaging determinations was based wholly on racism is merely pathetic. Cipher can foretell the result of a hiring determination. That's why squads go through an interviewing procedure anyhow, isn't it? I don't fault the Lions and 49ers for taking the managers they did, they were both proved victors and looked good at the clip.

Although the Rooney Rule might look unjust to some, I think it is pretty just. Let's face it, the regulation isn't traveling to be perfect; it has merely been about for a couple of old ages. It's the least football can make though,

given that the bulk of NFL participants are now African American and that African American-coached squads, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin, have been proven, victors. Unfortunately, this position leaves out more than it explains.

Rooney Rule enthusiasts point to the consequences, and they are reasonably impressive. Young Mike Tomlin, merely in his 2nd season as Steelers head manager, took his squad to a Super Bowl win this February in a 27-23 thriller over the Arizona Cardinals. As the figure of African American managers has increased, the figure of African American success narratives besides has increased. The 2007 Super Bowl involved a historic matchup between two African American caput managers, the Indianapolis Colts ' Tony Dungy and the Chicago Bears ' Lovie Smith. In 2009, the Indianapolis Colts hired Jim Caldwell as their caput manager, and look where they are now... 13-0 and looking like the best squad in the NFL.

The inquiry is though, did those successes result from the Rooney Rule? Dungy had established a strong path record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and so with the Colts before the regulation was adopted. Lovie Smith, who had been the linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, was a natural campaigner. And Tomlin, contrary to common perceptual experience, was non a beneficiary. His foreman, Dan Rooney, the adult male whose name adorns the Rooney Rule, asserted as much when he hired him in 2007. Let me state this: Mike Tomlin was a non-portion of the Rooney Rule, '' Rooney said''.  We had already interviewed Ron Rivera ( so the Bears ' defensive coordinator ), and so that fulfilled the duty. We went on, had

heard about Mike, called him in, and talked to him. He was really impressive ''. That's how things should work. The whole intent, and merely purpose, of an interview, is to happen ahead manager that you think will assist your squad win. Why should an NFL squad concern more about race than winning?

A job I see coming up is that some squads will non engage a manager because he is the best pick. They will engage whoever the public thinks they should engage, particularly if multiple races are involved. Most of the clip when the populace sees an African American hired, they feel the demand to clap the squad for doing the hiring. If the squad hires a white, the populace truly has no feeling towards it. They act like nil truly particular happened. To me, that says the populace is really attentive to anything that happens sing to race.

One thing I would wish to cognize is that how people can instantly presume that a coaching determination was made based on the race of the campaigners. I find that to be wholly insane. The lone existent state of affairs in which I would decidedly state race is involved is if the university has a history of non-engaging minority managers, or has a history of non-enrolling minority participants. In that state of affairs, I don't see how anyone can non state that race is involved. Other than that, I can't truly believe in anything else that would automatically be considered racism. There are merely excessively many factors to look at when making up one's minding on a caput manager, or any manager for that affair.

While the

NFL is the lone well-followed athletics conference to hold this type of regulation, more conferences country looking to follow. The Black Coaches Association ( BCA ), for one, is demanding that the National Collegiate Athletic Association adopt the Rooney Rule thought for engaging Division I football caput managers. Presently, the NCAA does non hold any regulation like the Rooney Rule in topographic point. BCA Executive Director Floyd Keith has threatened legal action if more minorities aren't hired. I see something large occurrence in the close hereafter affecting the NCAA doing a statement about a regulation being put in topographic point. If something isn't said, I believe the NCAA is traveling to hit... hard.

Merely like the BCA, there are a ton of people who want a policy put in topographic point to assist out minority training campaigners. Last twelvemonth, Auburn University's determination to engage Gene Chizik as its following football manager over Turner Gill, an African American, decidedly caused an immense tumult. The coaching determination received public attending after Charles Barkley, a former NBA participant, accused Auburn University of race favoritism. And to state you the truth, I agree with him. The other campaigner was Turner Gill, who turned around Buffalo University's football plan while Chizik struggled mightily at Iowa State. As expected, the school denied that race was a factor in the hiring. Although Gill did non acquire an opportunity at Auburn, I'm glad to see him eventually training a large name squad. Gill was hired as Kansas University's caput coach early this month ( ESPN ).

If you were to compare the NFL and NCAA in footings of the race of caput managers, you would

happen that the NCAA has to make something. While the NFL presently has seven minority caput managers, there are merely nine minority caput managers working at one of 120 major bowl-eligible schools in NCAA football. When you think about it, an African American has a better opportunity at going ahead manager in the NFL, where there are merely 32 squads. That is merely insane.

I have my ain sentiment on the fact that the Rooney Rule '' requires '' a squad to interview at least one minority campaigner for a vacant caput training occupation. Although the ''Rooney Rule '' is believed by some to set excessively much force per unit area on squads, I believe it can be altered in a manner that still helps minorities get head coaching occupations. I believe that the regulation should be changed. I think it should be changed so that squads merely have to run into the '' demand '' if they don't engage their first campaigner, in other words, if they don't engage the first individual they interview. In that manner, squads don't hold to worry about running into any demands while still holding to take their caput manager for the hereafter. Another positive factor in this `` updated '' version of the regulation is that campaigners will non hold to blow their clip traveling to an interview if they know that the squad they sing has all but signed their first campaigner. As you can see, this version helps out both sides. Welcome to the '' Rooney Rule '', it's traveling to be here for a piece.

Plants Cited

Alston, Jordan. `'' Tony Dungy: Lack of Black NCAA Coaches ''

Disgraceful ''. ''HipHopWired. 7

Dec 2009. HipHopWired, Web. 13 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //hiphopwired.com/2009/12/07/tony-dungy-lack-of-black-ncaa-coaches- % E2 % 80 % 9Cdisgraceful % E2 % 80 % 9D/ & gt ; .

'' Buffalo's Gill to train at Kansas. ''ESPN. 13 Dec 2009. ESPN, Web. 13 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story? id=4737280 & gt ; .

'' Cyrus Mehri. ''Mehri & A ; Skalet, P.L.L.C.. Mehri & A ; Skalet, P.L.L.C. , Web. 12 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.findjustice.com/sub/cyrus-mehri.jsp & gt ; .

Dakin, Carrie. ''NFL Rooney Rule Ridiculous? ''Bleacher Report. 22 May 2009. Bleacher

Report, Web. 12 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //bleacherreport.com/articles/181468-johnny-cochrans-rooney-riuns-football & gt ; .

'' Dennis Erickson. ''Arizona State University Athletics. 6 Jul 2009. Arizona State University,

Web. 14 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/erickson_dennis00.html & gt ; .

''Dennis Erickson. ''Pro-Football-Reference. 2009. Sports Reference LLC, Web. 14 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/EricDe0.htm & gt ; .

'' Dennis Green. ''Pro-Football-Reference. 2009. Sports Reference LLC, Web. 14 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/GreeDe0.htm & gt ; .

Horowitz, Carl. '' The 'Rooney Rule ': Pro Football's Affirmative Action Deception. ''National

Legal and Policy Center. 17 Jul 2009. National Legal and Policy Center, Web. 16 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //nlpc.org/stories/2009/07/17/rooney-rule-pro-footballs-affirmative-action-deception & gt ; .

''Johnnie Cochran Biography. ''Bio. Biography, Web. 12 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.biography.com/articles/Johnnie-Cochran-9542444? part=0 & gt ; .

'' Lions ' Millen fined $ 200K for non-questioning minority campaigners. ''CBS Sports. 25 Jul 2003.

CBS, Web. 13 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/6498949 & gt ; .

'' Lovie Smith. ''Chicago Bears. 2009. Chicago Bears,

Web. 14 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.chicagobears.com/team/coach.asp? coach_id=1 & gt ; .

'' NFL Clubs to Implement Comprehensive Program to Promote Diversity in Hiring. ''National

Football League. 20 Dec 2002. National Football League, Web. 12 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nfl.info/nflmedia/News/2002News/NFLDiversityProgram.htm & gt ; .

'' NFL has record figure of black caput managers this twelvemonth. ''United statess Today. 17 Aug 2006. USA

Today, Web. 12 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-08-17-nfl-black-coaches_x.htm & gt ; .

Smith, Micael David. '' Dan Rooney: Hiring Mike Tomlin Was Not Part of the Rooney Rule. ''

NFL Fanhouse. 27 Jan 2009. Fanhouse, Web. 13 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/dan-rooney-hiring-mike-tomlin-was-not-part-of-the-rooney-rule/ & gt ; .

'' Steve Mariucci. ''Pro-Football-Reference. 2009. Sports Reference LLC, Web. 14 Dec 2009.

& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/MariSt0.htm & gt ; .

Turner, Corey. '' Built-in Conflicts of Interest in the National Football League Management

Structure May Render the Rooney Rule Meaningless. ''The Sports Journal. United States Sports Academy, Web. 12 Dec 2009. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thesportjournal.org/article/inherent-conflicts-interest-national-football-league-management-structure-may-render-rooney- & gt ; .

Methods

Narration - paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 15

Compare and Contrast - paragraphs 12, 13, 14

Example - paragraphs 5, 6, 8, 9