Bills’ Wilson could take stand against perversely racist NFL policy

By Anthony Bialy  |   Wednesday, June 17, 2009  |  Comments( 58 )

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If either Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron or chief operating officer/quasi-general manager Russ Brandon fails, it would be thanks to each employee’s own incompetence. It’s not because they’re too pale. Yet, the NFL is doing what it can to turn staff pictures into mosaics. The league has expanded the Rooney Rule, which mandates that teams interview a minority candidate for coaching openings, to cover senior football operations positions. Enforcing further compulsorily broadmindedness won’t advance anyone, at least not honestly.

Owners can hug each other and congratulate themselves for flaunting their progressive natures. Unfortunately, that means they’ll be ignoring the reality they backed the growth of a patronizingly counterproductive decree. It’s one that presupposes those of a particular complexion both deserve special treatment and can’t get work on their own.

Much is particularly made of the fact that there’s an alleged old boys’ network in place within the league; the conspiracy, which involves the Freemasons, Men in Black and Bilderberg Group, apparently works tirelessly to keep people of color out of NFL power. But franchises don’t recycle white guys because they want to deny minorities opportunities; instead, they do so because it’s safe. Adding a mediocre but experienced coach, such as, say, Jauron, is seen as advantageous by some over a promising but unproven assistant. The same is true when it comes to general managers.

In fact, black coaches and executives will eventually make their way into the group of uninspiring retread hires; all it would take is the Earth revolving around the Sun. But, instead of letting such probabilities open naturally over time, the NFL is forcing its squads to consider applicants who may be inexperienced or unfit for a particular opening. It doesn’t help whom it’s supposed to help.

The requirement is particularly unfortunate from Buffalo’s perspective as a team that voluntarily participated in noteworthy racial advancement. Most notably, Bills players Cookie Gilchrist and the late Jack Kemp spearheaded the boycott of 1965’s All-Star Game in New Orleans because of the city’s segregated facilities; the contest was shifted to Houston. The team also drafted Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman Trophy winner, and in 1969 made James Harris the first black man to serve as quarterback from a season’s opening.

On top of that, the American Football League has long been recognized for its openness to blacks (http://www.conigliofamily.com/MinorityPlayers.htm). Kemp often cited his interaction with teammates of different ethnic backgrounds as the catalyst for his passion toward pursuing civil rights. Plus, it’s easy to forget thanks to his murdering tendencies, but O.J. Simpson was once beloved by people of every national origin as an affably gifted superstar who transcended race.

Importantly, those advancements all stemmed from the drive for logical equality or merit-based achievement: The Bills weren’t forced by league-wide directive to think about hiring people of a certain ancestry. Both the franchise and AFL displayed a historical willingness to judge individuals on talent. Accordingly, that puts one of the rebel league’s original owners in a unique position to confront the rule’s extension.

While he’s of course under no obligation to comment, it would be remarkable if Ralph Wilson would take a moment to steal away from his Hall of Fame sport coat fitting in order to condemn the unnecessary pandering forced upon the league through the policy.

Besides, being racist is its own punishment. If there’s a franchise so backwardly foolish in 2009 that it wouldn’t contemplate a qualified man as a head coach or manager thanks to skin color, that’s going to harm them. It’s a highly dubious notion that such organizations exist, but if they do they’re simply depriving themselves of talented options. Who wants to work for a bigot, anyway?

But that’s irrelevant to the NFL: They’re at a point where they’d be happy to see contenders of particular origins get hired regardless of qualifications. It’s the exact opposite of what the regulation seeks to accomplish. Assuming that the increase in black coaches since the rule’s birth is because of the rule itself is insulting to each of them; the league is effectively claiming that those gentlemen couldn’t get where they are on their own.

Meanwhile, owners throw gasoline on a fire they think they’ve extinguished. They seem to miss that they could simply offer interviews to minorities without obligation. If the bosses are so committed to seeing minorities get job chances, they shouldn’t need a rule to make it happen.

As for one of the cabal’s tenured members, Wilson could truly earn his blazer by highlighting obvious criticisms to the Rooney Rule. He’d be making himself the spokesman for those who feel the league has swung past equal rights to unequal privileges. The only other alternative is to tacitly join the politically correct chorus that treats black coaches, and now executives, as part of a percentage instead of as individuals.
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CommentsComments: 58  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
Joma		04:12 AM
06/17/2009
Who's the black coach Dick beat out? I think that guy has a legitimate case for racism! Also wish Wuss would have had ANY...
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No.2
Goose		09:29 AM
06/17/2009
Marvin Lewis interviewed for the Bills job after being a DC for the Ravens and Skins--he was beat out by Mularkey. Lewis also...
No.3
10:11 AM
06/17/2009
I have to completely agree with Mr.Bialy this morning. There is no doubt that at one time racism was as rampant in the NFL as it...
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