Owners' Thought Process & the Rooney Rule

The mere mention of race in sports sends many of us into a tizzy. Sports are supposed to help us escape the daily travails of modern life by being above them, right?

Yet since we’re talking about an industry that is dominated by minority participants, the conversations are inevitable. The makeup of an NFL team doesn’t resemble that of almost every place of employment in the United States. This comes from an evolution of thinking; from thinking that non-whites have no place in the game to thinking that non-whites can’t be middle linebackers to thinking that non-whites can’t be quarterbacks. The third to last step of progress, it seems, is allowing them the chance to become head coaches (Commissioner and team owner being the final two).

The Rooney Rule has helped change the dynamics a bit, but as the recent hires in Seattle and Washington prove, there’s still some work to be done. We need to be honest with ourselves here when it comes to the Rule; beyond debating the merits of affirmative action/alleged reverse discrimination and required-but-fruitless interviews. The rule was put in place because qualified minority candidates were not considered for such tenuous positions.

In a sport where these leading managers are treated more like fast food fry cooks until “The One” comes to save the franchise, you would have thought many dues-paying position coaches and coordinators would have been gobbled up in efforts to changes fortunes of many teams. Yet, especially in the preceding seasons before the Rule was adopted in 2003, many middling retreads were rehired to be fired rather quickly.

Every franchise has changed head coaches at least once since 1994, yet since the interim tag was removed for Jeff Fisher in 1995, the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans are the only team in the NFL to have had one person at the helm. Since 1996 to be specific, there have been 96 head coaching changes, which in turn resulted in countless changes in the coordinator and specialty coaching positions.

The average team has changed head coaches slightly over three times – 3.09677419354839 to be exact – in the last fourteen years, including ongoing changes after the conclusion of the 2009 season. The Oakland Raiders will likely have their seventh different head coach in this span if Al Davis does fire Tom Cable as expected, yet fourteen different franchises have had at least four different head coaches during this period.

Ninety-six different introductory press conferences is a staggering number. Absolutely staggering.

Many people connected to the NFL believe that the Rooney Rule will only gain teeth if the league truly investigates and penalizes teams for meeting the requirements just for show. In addition, despite extending the policy to include senior football operation positions (General Managers, essentially), there are calls to look into coordinators and other members of the coaching staff to truly give the Rule wide sweeping effectiveness.

Yet, there will always be an issue with the Rooney Rule not only for racial reasons, but because there will always been such high turnover among head coaches. Ideally, the Rule exists because of such instability. The fact that owners and fans have thin patience and even thinner triggers shows that there will be more opportunities. Many owners suffer from “I want what he’s got” syndrome, proving the adage that the NFL is a copycat league. Yet, others seem to have issues beyond patience. Woody Johnson and Daniel Snyder believe in big, splashy hires. Al Davis & the McCaskey family don’t want to pay anyone big bucks. Ralph Wilson can’t seem to find the right mix of personnel and philosophy. Jerry Jones just wants someone to not show him up, even when things are good (see Johnson, Jimmy).

As much as all candidates should be given greater consideration, it’s extremely difficult to legislate what’s on the minds of these owners. For various reasons – quick financial windfalls being the biggest along with ego – they will go after proven head coaches more often than not. It takes a lot for an owner to decide to take a chance on someone who had never managed an entire team at this level before, regardless of ethnic makeup. It takes just as much for that owner to take his or her lumps in the beginning to find long-term success. Maybe that’s what may happen with Tampa Bay and Raheem Morris; rumored to have been canned after one season though the Buccaneers do not have the horses in the stable.

We look at Mike Tomlin for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a sign that the Rule works, even though the namesake of the provision, the Rooney family, owns the team. There’s a strong culture in the organization that allowed for him to find success, as there was for Tony Dungy to steward the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title. Yet, no rule, no matter how great the intentions, will make an impact if these teams and owners don’t stop becoming case studies of chaos, mismanagement and impatience.

Say What?!?!: Better insights from Roy S. Johnson. The comments, however, go from atrocious to even worse.

Twittering (9/14)

Because reception in the press box (not the rest of the media area, however) was non-existent, it was fruitless to try to converse with all as intended. However, being that we have a doubleheader for Monday Night Football, there's a doubleheader for Twitter... so long as the body makes it through the San Diego/Oakland contest.

Feel free to also ask questions and leave comments (via Twitter or this post) about yesterday's action, including the Redskins/Giants game. Since Monday's deadline night for the Beacon's sports section, I'll be polishing off two articles for the paper while the Patriots and Bills hold American television hostage. It's still the ideal time to chat as I'll be in such game mode that you'd swear I took a Jake Delhomme interception to the house.

By the way, never feel that it's going to be just about the NFL. As a subscriber the MLB Extra Innings, I would be the first to scream "turn to 432 RIGHT NOW! Blankety Blank is throwing a no-no!". For that reason, I ask that if there is something happening with your baseball team (non-northeastern teams, especially), you have permission to harrass us. Also, if you miss the NHL and NBA, cry with us, too.

twitter.com/asportsscribe

Twittering (9/13)

Since today's the first Sunday of the new NFL season, a lot of passions have been stirred and reinvigorated. So, beacuse you may be thirsty for a conversation, feel free to chat with your friendly neighborhood Scribe on Twitter throughout the games you follow.

Also, some baseball and US open thoughts are certainly welcome.

Will be sans laptop while covering today's Washington Redskins/New York Giants game, but feel free to Tweet.

twitter.com/asportsscribe

Kickoff

Assuming that the webmaster at the New York Beacon took all of last week off, the 9/3 edition of the paper was not posted online. Thankfully, this week's version is up and considering that the NFL season begins tonight, it was timely to give fans here in the Boroughs something to whet the appetite until Sunday afternoon when the locals play.

While I previewed the Washington Redskins/New York Giants tilt on page 38, the sports editor, Marc Rasbury (who had been covering the US Open as well) gave a bit of dap to both the G-Men and the Jets.

And so it begins again. A year ago, the New York Giants started what was a promising defense of their Super Bowl championship with a statement win against a division rival. The just-retired Michael Strahan greeted his fans and former teammates at midfield, the soon-to-be jailed Plaxico Burress had just signed a new contract hours before the start of the game and many of the stars of the epic Super Bowl XLII shined in front of the home crowd. About fifty-two weeks later, much has changed except for the place and the opponent. The Giants open their season against the Washington Redskins this Sunday with hopes of once again getting a leg up on the NFC East in hopes of their fifth straight postseason.

A side note, there will be Twitter activity during some live games throughout the season. Let me just warn that I not exactly sure if I will do so during the games I cover at Giants Stadium. However, I may do so for all other NFL action and certainly for seven of the Giants road contests (will be unavailable for the October 3rd game in Kansas City). Please feel free to comment and ask questions about any and every team in the league. Heck, feel free to Tweet about CFL as well!

Slingin'

Respect for the Innovation and Prowess. Here's to you, Slingin' Sammy Baugh.

Thanks to the original uploader of this video.

Props

Week 5 was pretty fun, wasn't it?

Well, it wasn't if you're a fan of the following teams: Ravens, Lions, Texans, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Bills, 49ers, Eagles, Chargers, Packers, Chiefs, Saints, Seahawks and Bengals.

If you are unsure what to make of the season, don't feel bad. Most of the prognosticators that put the Chargers and Cowboys in the Super Bowl are looking quite... um... well, I'll let you decide. The darling rivalry will lose a tremendous amount of luster come November 2nd as the Patriots and Colts are scratching and clawing through the early fall. The Steelers are the shakiest looking 4-1 team we've in a couple of seasons and no one can think of something nice to say about the NFC West... okay, that's not so different.

Imagine what Week 6 will bring...

Kickoff: JuLonn Dunbar, New Orleans Saints - It was a heartbreaking loss for the Saints, especially considering Reggie Bush's exploits and a standout performance against formidable running combo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. Yet, if there is something to appreciate besides Bush's blazing speed, it was not only Dunbar's "decleater" block on E.J. Henderson on the first return, but the glorious (albeit brief celebration) at 0:17-0:19 seconds into this clip.



Respect due to ReDskins4ever26 for recording this as I spent hours searching for ANYONE who may have found those two seconds made the highlight of the game... other than the returns, of course.

1st Quarter: Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears - The Bears and passing? A combination that hasn't been seen since... hell, passing in the Windy City existed in theory in football, but was used more in hockey and basketball. Maybe that's a bit too harsh, but the fact that Orton (not Randy) made 24-of-34 completions and amassed 334 yards (both career highs) can give the Bears confidence in trying to supplant the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. Sure, it was against a Lions team that, for the lack of a better term, is in shambles. Yet, can you think of the last time the Bears had a consistenly good passing game?

2nd Quarter: Steve Slaton, Houston Texans - The young franchise thought they had a star in current Giants backup QB David Carr, but due to a poor offensive line, friction with management and an early start in building a losing culture, he became damaged goods. Dominack Williams (nee Davis) was on his way to becoming an upper-echleon running back in the league, but injuries threw curves in that path. Yet, Slaton is adding to what can be a very good offensive core for the franchise. Just as in his college days in West Virginia, he's displaying a great burst of speed as his 5.0 yards-per-carry show. Adding some pass-catching abilities from the backfield, Slaton looks as if he could be the all-purpose back that the team has been searching for. As soon as this team figures out if Matt Schaub or Sage Rosenfels will play under center as the year progresses, that quarterback will have another weapon to go along with WR Andre' Johnson and TE Owen Daniels.
Yes, it's early to project 285 rushing yards and 100 receiving into sudden greatness, but with Indianapolis, Tennessee and Jacksonville in the division, Houston just might have something to work with here.

Halftime: Sage Rosenfels, Houston Texans - Staying in Space City, the Colts got real, real lucky against those Texans on Sunday. Despite looking desperate, this is still one heck of an inspired hit they gave to Sage Rosenfels. If I got spun like helicopter propellers as he did, not only would my body hurt, but the pride, heart and soul of me and my future children. In fact, I'd probably take a kneel down on the next offensive set and retire on the spot. So props to Rosenfels for reminding me why I would have never, ever, ever made it to the NFL.

3rd Quarter: Washington - The one-upmanship in the NFC East always amazed me. It comes down to even the seemingly smallest details of jersey colors. Traditionally, teams wear the colored shirts at home and the whites on the road, but with the Dallas Cowboys as the league's premier offender, they shape the decisions of at least two other divisional opponents, Philadelphia and Washington. The Eagles forced their Beltway rivals to don their burgundy threads on the road, but the Redskins' colors ran through Lincoln Financial Field and those Eagles. Why do I give them respect? Because I personally don't think they wear them enough.

There may be a good luck, bad luck factor to it all, yet most of the football jerseys you may see in the stands and out in public are the traditional home ones. Why not wear them on the field?

4th Quarter: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons - When Michael Vick was the quarterback, the Falcons relied heavily on their running game to limit potential mistakes in passing the ball to what were considered a suspect group of wide receivers. While Vick was a dynamic runner at the position - so good that when he was coming out of Virginia Tech, Hall-of-Famer Steve Young once said that Vick may end up better than him - he had the ability to get the ball to his wideouts, but not the accuracy or the trust from anyone in the organization. Now, with a traditional passer in rookie Matt Ryan, Atlanta may have found an aerial attack for the first time in nearly fifteen years when a slew of QBs were finding Andre Rison wide open in the end zone.
White is a major part of this discovery, with 454 yards receiving (third in the NFL) and two touchdowns. It's great for the Ryan, the rookie from Boston College, to find someone to depend on early as he is feeling his way through the league. Yet, it's even better for White, who had started to emerge as a deep threat last season with the trio of Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich and Chris Redman. Now, he can shine a bit more with having to learn about one QBs tendancies, abilities and limitations instead of worry about who will start the next game.

Depth

It’s understandable that when you are about to reunite with something most dear that separation anxiety can get the best of you. It could be anything such as a long-lost flame, a childhood friend, those Karl Kani jeans from back in 1995, what-have-you. Yet, one would be foolish to expect everything to be as it was before all of that time apart from each other.

He’s engaged. Your friend went a different path in life. Only people born before 1988 know who Karl Kani is.

For the most part, you can accept the fact that nothing is as great as the nostalgia told you. Life changes, people drift away to gather themselves and over time, you’ll discover that really, really bad fashion can make an unfortunate comeback. So you let it be and can smile at the memories.

One reunion, however, will make people say and think the darndest things:

“The Jets are Super Bowl-bound, baby! Brett the Jet!”

“You know, I think Rex Grossman’s going to have a helluva year.”

“Chad Johnson might change his name.” (Oh, that’s right. He’s actually considering that… right?)

“Preseason is too long.”

The last statement is the one that jumps out more and more with each passing August. It’s the most common refrain from the masses in regards to the NFL exhibition season. A good bit of veteran players would rather not go through the physical grind and jump straight into the games that matter. Media members and most fans share the view that no one wants to see third-string players because… well, they’re third-string players. The few fans that are season-ticket holders get up in arms because they must pay full-price for these games in order to retain their rights for seats when the games count in the standings.

As said last year in this space, the preseason is never about everyone else surrounding the game, but more about determining the kind of depth that a team has going into the regular season. Case in point: as we are twelve days away from the start of the season, two teams that will find out how deep they really are will find out sooner than expected.

The bad news for the defending champion New York Giants will have sunk in by September 4th as they will go without Osi Umenyiora. The sixth-year Pro Bowl defensive end elected to have season-ending surgery on a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Umenyiora tweaked his knee while pulling away from Jets offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson in the second quarter of their annual preseason game on Saturday (though at first glance, did not seem as if it would be more than a sprained knee). Their guests, the Washington Redskins, will have to play without one of their defensive ends as well; the newly-acquired Jason Taylor. While Taylor will return for the team’s second contest later in the month, he is only in Washington after Phillip Daniels (an underrated end in his own right) tore his ACL during training camp.

Going without a premier player is disheartening enough because of what (s)he can bring to the table in the game. Yet, when the injury happens before the season even starts, it can be maddening and in the case of the NFL, the usual anti-preseason critics will have even more ammo in their argument to shorten the exhibitions. Yet, it is for this exact reason that coaches rarely speak out against the length of the preseason.

If an elite player misses time due to injury, more than likely, a young and inexperienced player will be thrown into the fire and have to step into that position of need. Without the preseason, that player, while likely to be overwhelmed with the higher stakes and impromptu playing time, would be the deer stuck in headlights without any practice, preparation or ‘hands-on’ experience for the real thing. In the case of Umenyiora, it’s got to be excruciating physically, mentally and emotionally to be unable to help his team defend their Super Bowl title (yet, still contend with us media if he chooses to come to the games). However, this is the time where the offseason addition of veteran end Renaldo Wynn and the return of LB/DE Mathias Kiwanuka from a broken leg last season will come into play. Giants fans are also going to learn the name Dave Tollefson, a second-year reserve end who saw time late last season in a backup role.

It is rather unfortunate that someone has to get hurt in order for another player to have a chance to show his or her skills. Every team in sports competes with the certainty that someone will miss time because of injury. It would be poor management and a lapse of common sense to not have a contingency plan built before the season starts. After all, how can a team entertain its fans without the best possible preparation?

Twiddling

So you're trying to figure out how to pass the time until baseball starts up again (in Tokyo, if you need a reminder, Red Sox and A's fans). In all honesty, that's kind of sad, but it's your perogative. Yet, there are plenty of other sports that give thrills, chills and if you attend live, unfortunate beer spills. It's very easy to just say watch more basketball or hockey or even read a book, but instead, here are five games and events in February to keep an eye on.

Of course, Scribe advises that you should just watch anything where there's a ball and a bunch of people running for it, with it or at it.

• Saturday, February 9th: San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics - Though the defending champs are not clicking on all cylinders at the moment, these two games will be considered NBA Finals previews. Neither team has played each other this season, but the always-intriguing matchup between Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will take center stage. With Tony Parker out of the lineup for the Spurs, Rajon Rondo may avoid the same fate as Daniel Gibson suffered in last year's Finals. Parker sped past Gibson so much that the Cavaliers guard is still chasing the Frenchman's shadow. The rematch takes place on Monday, March 17 in San Antonio.
  


• [Above] Saturday, February 16th: Kelly Pavlik-Jermain Taylor II, Undisputed Middleweight Championship - Boxing had an outstanding 2007 and much of this can be attributed to this gem of a fight. Back in late September, an undefeated champion, Taylor, had scored a knockdown on Pavlik in the middle of the second round. With still over a minute left in the round, Taylor threw just enough to keep Pavlik at a distance. Big mistake. Pavlik fought himself back into the fight to the point that judges had scored the fight even leading into the seventh round. And then, Arkansas' son crumpled in the corner from a beautiful combo from Pavlik. The Youngstown, Ohio native shocked the boxing establishment with his win and set up this rematch at a catch weight of 166 pounds. Taylor's no bum, but even in his previous fights since defeating Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed championship, he hasn't looked like the anointed boxing star he was supposed to be. With the loss to Pavlik, there are more questions surrounding the former champ than with his two questionable wins over Hopkins. Order the fight, go to a sports bar or get real close with a friend (just not me).
  
  
• Wednesday, February 20th: Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers - You know that ESPN or ABC will scramble to air this game nationally, even if it means telling Lost to get lost for a week. Yes, the whole Shaq versus Kobe angle was played out long before the Disney broadcasters pushed it on us in recent Christmases. However, the Suns, whose up-tempo, seven-seconds-or-bust style has been compromised (to say the least) when they traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for the fourteen-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion. No one knows what to expect from O'Neal - or even if he will play - but expect the Lakers to have worked out some of the kinks as their newest acquisition settles in. Pau Gasol should have two more weeks under him with his new team by then (also helped by the All-Star break). The Lake Show will have its first post-break test against a team still widely considered to be Western Conference contenders.
  
  
• Ongoing: The head coaching search of the Washington Redskins - Giants fans and 'fans' (those bandwagoners that suddenly believed in Eli Manning after the Super Bowl ended), be very, very afraid. Not that the personnel will suddenly forget how to play defense when the new season rolls around, but if first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is offered and accepts the head coaching position with rival Washington, it may not bode well. Owner Daniel Snyder loves the big splash of free agent signings and coaching hires, even if the success has not followed. Though he would join in on a trend of hiring the hot, young coordinator, hiring the architect of the league's most talked-about defense would put the Giants in a very peculiar spot of having to find another DC who can utilize the players in a similar manner. Spanoulo originally came from Philadelphia, but it is unlikely that New York would look in that direction again. The respect and admiration that he gained from that lockerroom is something that cannot be replicated with just anyone if he departs, and neither will the production if they end up defending their Super Bowl championship without him.
  
  
• All month: College basketball - while Scribe doesn't delve too much into college sports, March Madness is just around the corner. Duke's win over UNC tonight should serve as a reminder of how intense the games are getting right about now. What should also stay on the periphery: top-ranked Memphis host (7)Tennessee and the hopes are that loading the home schedule with big-name national opponents will garner the best possible bracket in the NCAA Men's Tournament. Also, (6)Georgetown and (19)Connecticut command Big East attention, fifth-ranked UCLA has (17)Stanford and (9)Washington State to worry about and Kansas will test their number 4 ranking with some tough outs [Baylor, at (12)Texas, a rematch with Kansas State and (18)Texas A&M]. Can't forget the ladies, either.

Say What?!?!: Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida will feature the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC Champion New York Jets. No worries, Jets fans. As you have come to expect, the good fortunes are just a cruel joke. They'll find a way to let Alex Smith throw seven touchdowns in the second half for the red-and-gold's sixth championship.

Profound

Anyone who has ever dealt with the loss of a loved one can understand the greater plight of moving forward. It is a long and arduous march to some form of normalcy, even though that missing energy never returns. It is also something that can never just be understood from a distance. Unfortunately, the only way that someone can ‘get it’ is when he or she endures it. Yet, there are some deaths that are unique from others, though loss hurts all the same. In the realm of entertainment, one’s passing starts as a private moment within family and close friend before it is announced to the general public. It is at this point, fairly or not, where that passing seems extraordinary.

As the NFL deals with a second murder in 2007, there are questions abound on how players, coaches and managers will honor the life of Washington Redskins’ star safety Sean Taylor. Because of their occupations, the healing process differs in that before millions of people watch them take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, they have to spend the remainder of the week trying to prepare for the game. They can’t take days off during the week as we could. Add the rare instance of two games in a five-day span; the team must exert all of their being into what will be the most difficult – and emotional – period in franchise history.

Sean Taylor’s death has been and will be discussed at length for weeks to come in light of what has already been a challenging year for the NFL. He was the fourth active player to have died since the start of this year. Darrent Williams was killed after leaving a New Year’s Eve party in Denver. Nearly two months later, his Broncos teammate, Damien Nash, collapsed and died during a charity basketball game for his younger brother, a heart transplant recipient. In May, the New England Patriots lost Marquise Hill, due to a JetSki accident on Lake Pontchartrain (bordering his hometown of New Orleans). Besides their employer and their ethnicities, each man had one other commonality; they were all twenty-four years old.

As details about the circumstances of his death slowly come out, a fraternity of former teammates from his Pop Warner days to the University of Miami to Washington will strengthen through grief. The inquisitive and opinionated media will discuss how the Redskins will inevitably have to replace their best player as well as get ready for this challenging period. The fans will show up to mourn as a civic community, to question or appreciate how the team moves forward and to remind each other how today should be cherished as if tomorrow is never promised. This public process has no timetable, but it will raise concerns.

There have always been people who have asked why the death of an athlete should matter more than the death of an everyday Joe, Jaquon or Jane. Some will try to remind others that people die every second of the day and it’s a part of life. The issue with this train of thought is that it assumes that the masses believe the death of a public figure is more important, more significant and more meaningful than that of a private individual. This train of thought also falls in line of questioning why people celebrate these figures as opposed to lawyers, doctors and teachers in the first place. What isn’t said is that much of the reason that we slow down when an athlete dies is that we don’t fully know who the person was. Athletes are expected to be fearless and superhuman in their performances, but invincible and quiet when the lights are off. When those young athletes, along with Joe Kennedy, Josh Hancock and many other active players over the years passed on, it may have been the first time that we encountered anything to do with the human beings they leave outside of competition.

In discussing this with friends today, many sentiments were shared. A violent death of another young black male. His prior transgressions off the field. Potential starting to be realized during practice and game action. All of this rings true, but what should have jumped out from the start was that Taylor’s violent end stopped him from turning the corner away from the game. In a short amount of time, he became one of the few people in the world that could perform - let alone excel - at his job, be rewarded handsomely and yet, still have time to become better. More importantly, from all accounts of his colleagues, friends and family, he was beginning to make right with his previous wrongs. Becoming a father last year was singled out by all who reflected on his personal growth. No one knew how far exactly he was moving away from his run-ins with the law in his early seasons. No one knew the kind of player he was going to become as he was eschewing those poor decisions that led to warnings and fines from the league. Yet, regardless of how closely we pay attention or quickly we dismiss it, we can all understand that Sean Taylor didn’t have enough time to let us know.

Say What?!?!: From the Washington Post.