Concept of the Rooney Rule - Case Study Example

The Rooney Rule: A Necessity? Or, an Imposition? Ever since the very concept of the Rooney Rule was heard about and since there was the minimum possibility of the Rooney Rule being introduced, there have been innumerable arguments and counterarguments both for and against it. However, with all the opinions against it, the Rooney Rule came to be established in the year of 2003 since the arguments that reinforced the necessity of the Rooney Rule were no less strong. Now that more than half a decade has passed after this rule came to be established, there no inadequacy of the arguments. It may be that the arguments have changed. There have been new points to substantiate the arguments. The arguments for and against the necessity of the existence of the Rooney Rule are almost equally strong to combat with each other. It was observed in the year of 2002 that though seventy per cent of the players of the National Football League teams were black, the number of the black coaches and assistant coaches was too little. Only twenty eight percent of the assistant coaches and merely six percent of the head coaches were black. This observation resulted in a committee being formed to see into the issues related to it. After close regard to various issues, the Rooney Rule came to be established. In terms of the Rooney Rule of the National Football League or the NFL, no team under the NFL can offer a head coaching position without interviewing at least one minority candidate. If any of the NFL teams was found to have appointed a head coach without appointing at least one black candidate, it would be fined. This rule was named after Dan Rooney who was the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as the chairman of the diversity committee of the league. The rule was created with the intension and aspiration that it would increase the number of the minority head coaches and assistant coaches in the National Football League. There is no denial to the fact that the introduction of the Rooney Rule had angered a number of head coaches and assistant coaches, irrespective of their colors. The club officials were also no exceptions. What they had to say is that they had the right to hire whoever they want to hire. The argument that Rooney placed against it was that they definitely had the right to take their own decision about choosing the head coach or the assistant coach. At the same time he insisted that the African – American coaches or assistant coaches or the minority coaches and assistant coaches should be given a chance. There are few teams in the National Football League that have minority head coaches. Why is it that they do seldom appear as either assistant coaches or head coaches? Is it, then a fact that the black coaches are not good or potential enough to coach the National Football League teams? There have always been so many of black as well as minority football players that it is quite hard to believe that there is not much of efficient black or African – American coaches. (Newman) One reason behind this might be the fact that the black assistant coaches or the head coaches have not been offered much of scopes to prove themselves and their mettle. There is no doubt that the advent of the Rooney Rule will offer the black or the African- American coaches a chance to shoe their efficiency since there would be no selection of head coaches without giving them a chance. There must be, at least, a number of black or African- American coaches who will be able to use the chance and turn it into his favor. This argument sounds quite reasonable in terms of logic. Yet, this cannot be regarded as an absolute reason on the basis of which the Rooney Rule can be introduced or established. There are some National Football League teams that might not be willing to accept a Black or an African- American head coach or assistant coach. After the Rooney rule being introduced the club authorities of the National Football teams might not dare not to invite a minority candidate while hosting an interview for the selection of a head coach or an assistant coach. But they might have a pre-decided resolution that they would not accept an African-American as the head coach or the assistant coach. In that case adhering to the Rooney Rule by the National Football League clubs will be nothing but maintaining a formality. It will not be quite just to say that the introduction of the Rooney Rule is of no use since the Black candidates will just be called for the formality purpose while the candidate is already selected. There are some instances where it has been seen that a black candidate has been called for the interview, may be just to maintain the formality so that the Rooney Rule is adhered to, but the candidate has been selected for his brilliant performance in the interview. These instances reinforce the reasons on the basis of which the Rooney Rule was established. One of such instances is the case of Mike Tomlin being selected as the defensive coordinator of Minnesota Vikings. According to Rooney, Tomlin, aged thirty four, was just like the other guys before he appeared in the interview. It was for the first time that Rooney saw him. However, as he came through the interview, the board of the interviewers though the interview with Tomlin was great. They talked to him over the phone and went through the necessary process. Though this instance testifies to the fact that the black or the minority candidates can prove themselves if given a chance, there are some factors that demean this advantageous factor of the Rooney Rule. There are indications that many were of the thought that Tomlin got the job because of nothing but Rooney’s effort to justify the rule introduced by him. Art Shell, the first one among the modern black National Football League head coaches, had the opinion that Tomlin would not have got the opportunity had there not been the Rooney Rule. Shell, the coach who was fired by the Raiders, can be quoted as saying, “He never would have sat down with Dan Rooney” if there Rooney Rule had not been introduced (Garber). So far as statistics regarding the increase of the number of the Black head coaches in the National Football League is concerned, the introduction of the Rooney Rule turns out to have positive results, considering the increase of the number black coaches in the NFL as the target. Before the Rooney Rule came to be introduced only 6% of the head coaches in the National Football League were from the black or African – American community. After the Rooney Rule came into existence, the number rose up to 22%. (Burnt Orange Nation) Many might have the doubt in their minds that this increase of the black coaches might not have happened because of the introduction of the Rooney Rule since the Rooney Rule makes it mandatory to interview at least one black candidate. To testify their argument they state that the number of the black coaches in the national Football League has increased after the Rooney Rule being introduced. But the number of the black coaches in college football has hardly increased, indicating at the fact that the establishment of the Rooney rule played a great role in increasing the number of the black or African American head coaches in the National Football League. (Newman) In this case it has to be kept in mind that this rule certainly has such imposition of compulsion but it has never made it mandatory that the black or African -American candidate has to be selected for the offered situation. The Club authorities would not be fool enough to recruit a guy who is not efficient enough to be selected as the head coach or the assistant coach of a team in the national Football League. Therefore, it has to be concluded that the black coaches who have been recruited after the introduction of the Rooney Rule do have the potential, but did not have the scope to prove themselves since long. Since the Rooney Rule has given them a chance to appear in the interview and prove their mettle, they have utilized it with the best of their potential which they already have. There is another factor that takes into account the honor and prestige of the black coaches. Just think of the mental situation of the black candidate who is going to appear in the interview. He is very much conscious of the fact that he has been called only to serve the purpose of maintaining the formality. Inviting him is nothing but an instrument by dint of which the National Football League team authorities can serve the purpose of abiding by the Rooney Rule. No one would deny the fact that such a situation is not at all going to offer much honor to a person. Moreover he is going to feel not only embarrassed but also quite insulting at times. In some cases, while recruiting a head coach, a National Football League team authorities might have a preference for a candidate who already too famous and is a great personality as a head coach by dint of the record of his success in the past. Had there been no such rule as the Rooney Rule, there might have been a direct contract between that candidate and the National Football League team. Since the Rooney Rule is there, and it compels the team to interview at least one black or African – American candidate, the team authorities cannot but call a black candidate for the interview so that they are not fined for not abiding by the Rooney Rule. In most of the cases, they look for a black candidate who can be called for the interview just perfunctorily. Is it that the black candidate who has been called for the interview for the selection of a head coach or an assistant coach is not sensitive enough to understand what purpose his appearing in the interview serves? There is really no scope for denial to the fact that such circumstances are extremely embarrassing and quite insulting for them. It is for this reason that many black candidates have turned down the offer to appear in the interview. This is exactly the case that has happened in case of the Detroit Lions. This team had been fined for their selection of Steve Mariucci without having interviewed a black candidate. What the team said in excuse is that they invited some of the black candidates but all of them cancelled their interview with the Detroit Lions with the assumption that the selection of Steve was inevitable (Craig). None would deny the fact that this quite unjust a thing done not only to the black or the African – American candidates who aspire to become great football coaches, but also to the game of football itself. Many are of the thought that the meager number of the black coaches in the National Football League might indicate at the racism factor. If the Rooney rule can turn out to be successful in increasing the number of the black coaches or the African- American coaches, resulting in the equalization of the numbers of the black NFL coaches and the white NFL coaches, equity of the coaches in respect of their colors will be preserved. This might be a Utopian idea for those who advocate equity of rights. But there are a number of factors in this regard that might not go in favor of this idea. The bid to maintain equity among the national Football League coaches in respect of their colors might result in a drastic fall in the standard of the game that the National Football League teams maintain. A team may think opt for deliberate choice of a black coach in order to make a projection of the fact that they are not only adhering to the Rooney Rule but also contributing to the mankind by making an effort to increase the number of the black coaches, and thereby, helping them to come to the same platform as the white coaches, at least, in respect of number. These kinds of anti-racism ideas, in practical terms, are nothing but a different form of racism. There is another factor that goes much against the Rooney Rule. If a national Football League team needs a head coach or an assistant coach, it will definitely have the intension to get the best head coach for its team. To serve this purpose, they will try every means to get the best coach for the team. In that case, they will choose the best candidates to call for the interview so that they can select the best among the best candidates. Now that the Rooney Rule makes it mandatory for them to call at least one black candidate, they might have to drop the idea of calling a candidate who deserved, at least, to appear in the interview. Reviewing all the points and arguments both for and against the Rooney Rule, some points come out as result. The necessity of the introduction of the Rooney rule cannot just be flouted, though there were a number of justified arguments against it. Besides, the establishment of the Rooney Rule has resulted in the discovery of some talents that remained latent for a lone time and might have remained so had there not been the Rooney Rule. At the same time it has also to be accepted that the Rooney Rule takes into account a sophisticated form of color discrimination or racism, this time it is for the black. Again, there is no such theory that the racism goes against the black or the minority. A rule that seems to have a bias for any race and even if it has a negative bias for the majority, it can be described as racism. Thereby, the Rooney Rule definitely backs a racism factor. Can a rule that harbors racism be supported? Should it exist any more? None, perhaps, would speak for such a rule that is based on some kind of racism or color discrimination or the other. References 1. Burnt Orange Nation, “Pluralistic Ignorance and the Conservative Lag of College Football in its Hiring of Black Head Coaches”, retrieved on February 3, 2009 from: http://www.burntorangenation.com/2008/12/19/696653/pluralistic-ignorance-and 2. Craig, “Do We Still Need The Rooney Rule?”, Waiting for the Next year, December 31, 2008, Retrieved on 3rd February, 2009 from: http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=6163 3. Garber, Greg, ‘Thanks to Rooney Rule, doors opened’, ESPN, 2007, Retrieved on February 4, 2009 from: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs06/news/story?id=2750645 4. Newman, Andrew Adam, The Minority Report, 2008, retrieved on February 4, 2009 from: http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3i72ce5cb5941da1cd83e06a30cedd2112 Read More