Unless you've been living under a rock the past 36 hours, you've already heard a plethora of reports that USC uber-coach Pete Carroll will soon be introduced as the next coach of the Seattle Seahawks. It seems like a done deal, but apparently the Seahawks still have to abide by the so-called "Rooney Rule" which requires NFL teams to at least interview minority candidates when hiring a head coach or GM.
Basically, it amounts to this: the Seahawks have their ideal hire all but inked, but have to convince a minority (in this case Minnesota's defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier) to go through the motions--ERR come in for a legitimate interview because he stands just as much of a chance of getting the job as Carroll. The whole thing is ridiculous. The bleeding hearts will tell you this is the only way to ensure that minority candidates get a fair shake, but isn't it more racist to say, "Hey, we really want to hire this guy over here, but we still need a black guy to interview for our job. Wait. You're black, aren't you? Yeah, you'll do just fine."
Look, if Tony Dungy if Mike Tomlin were interested in the job, they'd be pushed to the front of the line. BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD COACHES WITH A SUPERBOWL WIN ON THEIR RESUMES. Yes, maybe those two men (and others like Chicago's Lovie Smith) benefited from the Rooney Rule somewhere along the line, but they also worked their way up the chain of command before taking on head coaching gigs. If the point is to hire on merit and not race, then just do it. Someone just said that you can't legislate morality, and they were right. Yes, racism still exists in the NFL (and the world in general), but the owners care most about only two things: winning and making money. If you're from Venus, but can help them do that, you won't have any problem landing a gig somewhere.
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