The rooney rule is it fair< did the redskins follow the rules

i don't like the rooney rule, it may be a well intended rule, but it's wrong to force employers to interview people that they have no intention of hireing, regardless of sex or race.

i don't like the rooney rule, it may be a well intended rule, but it's wrong to force employers to interview people that they have no intention of hireing, regardless of sex or race.

I respect (but strongly disagree with) this viewpoint but I'd counter with the Steelers had no 'intention' of hiring Mike Tomlin when they interviewed him. The NFL, like all major sports, is very much a good old boys club. When you don't have generations of being in the league it's hard to crack that rotation. Look at how long it took Dungy to get a job after being regarded as 'ready' for years. Same thing with Sherm Lewis, he never got his chance-partially because of the playoff/interview rules at the time-but the rule is primarily about exposing owners to coaches they may not have otherwise encountered.

Please don't buy into (or sell) the naive point of view that people see talent equally and 'other factors' have no bearing on their decisions.

I respect (but strongly disagree with) this viewpoint but I'd counter with the Steelers had no 'intention' of hiring Mike Tomlin when they interviewed him. The NFL, like all major sports, is very much a good old boys club. When you don't have generations of being in the league it's hard to crack that rotation. Look at how long it took Dungy to get a job after being regarded as 'ready' for years. Same thing with Sherm Lewis, he never got his chance-partially because of the playoff/interview rules at the time-but the rule is primarily about exposing owners to coaches they may not have otherwise encountered.

Please don't buy into (or sell) the naive point of view that people see talent equally and 'other factors' have no bearing on their decisions.

i agree with what your saying. i just don't like the idea of anyone telling another who to hire, who to interview, how to run your buisness etc..

as for the line i highlighted, i would say, it's not so much that way anymore. most teams want to be winners, they'll hire the best guy or girl for the job, but they don't need rules telling them who they need to interview. just my personal opinion.

i agree with what your saying. i just don't like the idea of anyone telling another who to hire, who to interview, how to run your buisness etc..

That's the same attitude that was perpetuated during the civil rights movement when the Government forced the schools to integrate. No one likes being told what to do, but fortunately we live in a country governed by laws where discrimination isn't tolerated. I don't understand why people exhibit resentment when we attempt to even the playing field. You should channel your disdain towards the fact that very few Black coaches were interviewed prior to the Rooney rule, not the NFL's attempt to rectify it.


I don't like Police officers telling me how fast I can drive, what substances I can smoke, or how loud I can play my music within the confines of my own vehicle. However, I understand that's it's necessary to have police officers to maintain social order. And you should understand that things like the Rooney rule are necessary to ensure equal opportunity.

The bottom line is the owners have never really been around minorities and probably don't socialize with them. They didn't grow up with them. They're more comfortable with white people. In the end they're going to hire who they want to hire. If most of the owners were black you'd see a lot more black coaches. That's just how it is. I think it's a good rule cause Tomlin would've never got a job. It's the same thing in college and especially in the SEC. Why didn't Sly Croom get the Alabama job over Shula? He was better qualified but the Alabama alumni probably wouldn't be comfortable with a black man. Progress has been made but there is still a long way to go.

I believe the owners voted the Rooney rule in so it's not the same as an outside government establishing it, it is just a self policing policy.

Any respect I had for Greg Blache just went out the window.

Source: Blache already has interviewed for Redskins job | ProFootballTalk.com (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/19/source-blache-already-has-interviewed-for-redskins-job/)

Source: Blache already has interviewed for Redskins job
Posted by Mike Florio on December 19, 2009 10:21 AM ET

Unless they conducted a search even faster than they recruited Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins interviewed multiple candidates for General Manager at a time when they already had someone doing the job.

So it should come as no surprise that they're already interviewing candidates for the position of head coach, despite the fact that they already have one.

Per a league source, the Redskins have interviewed defensive coordinator Greg Blache for the position currently held by his boss, Jim Zorn.

It's unknown when the interview specifically occurred.

By interviewing Blache, the Redskins have complied in advance with the Rooney Rule, which requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for every head-coaching vacancy.

We recently speculated, based on the manner in which the Vinny Cerrato-Bruce Allen flip-flop was handled by the team, that the Redskins already have complied with the Rooney Rule as it relates to the head-coaching position.

So, basically, the Redskins are free -- at any time -- to announce that Zorn is out, and to announce that Mike Shanahan (or anyone else, for that matter) is in.

As we pointed out last night, Shanahan definitely is in play for the job. Though it's not a done deal, he has been talking to the powers-that-be for weeks, if not months.

Cue the denials from Blache and/or the Redskins and/or Shanahan and/or Shanahan's minions in the media.

Maybe, if I'm really lucky, Mike Wise will call me a "cretin" again, too.

Its well-known that Blache has no desire to be a head coach. The only reason he'd "interview" for the position is so the Redskins could satisfy the letter of the Rooney Rule while taking a dump on the "spirit" of the rule. I wonder what they bribed him with to sell out his integrity.

I'm not sure what to think of this Blache news, as I think it's true but not entirely accurate. Blache and the Redskins definitely talked earlier this year about the possibility of Blache taking over as interim coach midseason. One of them, can't remember if it was Blache or the Redskins (think it may have been Blache) decided that Blache taking over wasn't the best idea. I don't know if that counts toward the Rooney Rule though

I'm not sure what to think of this Blache news, as I think it's true but not entirely accurate. Blache and the Redskins definitely talked earlier this year about the possibility of Blache taking over as interim coach midseason. One of them, can't remember if it was Blache or the Redskins (think it may have been Blache) decided that Blache taking over wasn't the best idea. I don't know if that counts toward the Rooney Rule though

I suppose its possible the report could be referring to blache interviewing for the interim coach position; however, i didnt think that coaches usually "interview" for interim positions. in addition, don't minority candidates have to sign some form indicating they felt the interview was "legitimate" in order for the rooney rule to be satisfied? Don't get me wrong - i want Shanahan as our next coach, and I undertand that if Snyder wants Shanahan, he's got to move fast in order to secure him, but this whole thing just smells fishy to me.

I wonerer if Snyder promised to get Shanahan to retain the majority of the defensive coaching staff if Blache agreed to do a sham interview. Blache seems to be eyeing retirement, but maybe he did this to help Jerry Gray and the rest of his coaching staff. Either that or Snyder just bought him another fancy gun.

I'm not sure what to think of this Blache news, as I think it's true but not entirely accurate. Blache and the Redskins definitely talked earlier this year about the possibility of Blache taking over as interim coach midseason. One of them, can't remember if it was Blache or the Redskins (think it may have been Blache) decided that Blache taking over wasn't the best idea. I don't know if that counts toward the Rooney Rule though

There's that issue of media relations as well. With his decision to stop talking to the media would not be a fit for HC.