First I must admit that I am not a football "fan". However this is a great moment in Black history to see two Blk coaches dispel the stereotypes in major sports.
What I am disturbed by is the "hype" that the NFL is promoting via their "Rooney Rule" that any open coaching vacancy "must have" at least one (1) minority candidate...
Does this system work???
To a degree (Steelers new coach Mike Tomlin may argue), however we must recognize that the NFL uses this PR campaign to pacify many when we all know that one can not tell another who to hire and in most cases the owners and management's mind is already made up (ask Matt Millen of the Detroit Lions about that one).
What is really unique in this case is that both Dungy and Smith were highly sought after when their respective coaching positions arrived... Dungy was fired from Tampa Bay (who won the Super Bowl the following season) and was the obvious choice to coach the Colts after the team had fired Jim Mora... a few days he was anointed the job... not because he was Blk but because he was a "winner"... Tampa Bay obviously did not have enough faith in him getting the job done.
Smith was a successful defense coordinator with the St. Louis Rams and was the front-runner to replace Mike Martz... However, Martz's season-career ending illness allowed a shift in thinking... it was Smith who left on his own accord but the Bears were interested in his style of play all along and scooped him up when the opportunity arrived...
What I am trying to say is that we have many Blks and whites that see this as a confirmation for Affirmative Action programs... I disagree.
These two Blk men have only proven that if you are the best you will be seen/noticed and rewarded with employment.
So please don't be fooled by the hype... these two brothers got this apex the old fashion way: They both earned it!!!
This should be a major example of how empowerment can and does work for those who seek to set themselves above the norm of expectations.
And yes, of course you now have the newly proclaimed "Soul Bowl"...
As Blks we are so good at creating buzz (for all the wrong reasons). Trust me, it is still the Super Bowl and these two men are just adding a little more flavor to the atmosphere.
It is a major accomplishment, but let's get real... it's still about the money regardless of who wins the game. When all of this is over I give it two weeks and things will be back to normal...
Many Blks will be expecting jobs via AA programs and few will embrace the ideology of empowerment and forge to create jobs for themselves and the communities of which they live.
The Super Bowl is just a game and yes both Dungy and Smith are helping with the hype by just being there in this historic manner. Yet it would be great to read the news and see that more Blks are attending colleges, creating jobs and businesses while embracing the mindset of empowerment... That would make the best type of Black History for me.
Nuff Said
What I am disturbed by is the "hype" that the NFL is promoting via their "Rooney Rule" that any open coaching vacancy "must have" at least one (1) minority candidate...
Does this system work???
To a degree (Steelers new coach Mike Tomlin may argue), however we must recognize that the NFL uses this PR campaign to pacify many when we all know that one can not tell another who to hire and in most cases the owners and management's mind is already made up (ask Matt Millen of the Detroit Lions about that one).
What is really unique in this case is that both Dungy and Smith were highly sought after when their respective coaching positions arrived... Dungy was fired from Tampa Bay (who won the Super Bowl the following season) and was the obvious choice to coach the Colts after the team had fired Jim Mora... a few days he was anointed the job... not because he was Blk but because he was a "winner"... Tampa Bay obviously did not have enough faith in him getting the job done.
Smith was a successful defense coordinator with the St. Louis Rams and was the front-runner to replace Mike Martz... However, Martz's season-career ending illness allowed a shift in thinking... it was Smith who left on his own accord but the Bears were interested in his style of play all along and scooped him up when the opportunity arrived...
What I am trying to say is that we have many Blks and whites that see this as a confirmation for Affirmative Action programs... I disagree.
These two Blk men have only proven that if you are the best you will be seen/noticed and rewarded with employment.
So please don't be fooled by the hype... these two brothers got this apex the old fashion way: They both earned it!!!
This should be a major example of how empowerment can and does work for those who seek to set themselves above the norm of expectations.
And yes, of course you now have the newly proclaimed "Soul Bowl"...
As Blks we are so good at creating buzz (for all the wrong reasons). Trust me, it is still the Super Bowl and these two men are just adding a little more flavor to the atmosphere.
It is a major accomplishment, but let's get real... it's still about the money regardless of who wins the game. When all of this is over I give it two weeks and things will be back to normal...
Many Blks will be expecting jobs via AA programs and few will embrace the ideology of empowerment and forge to create jobs for themselves and the communities of which they live.
The Super Bowl is just a game and yes both Dungy and Smith are helping with the hype by just being there in this historic manner. Yet it would be great to read the news and see that more Blks are attending colleges, creating jobs and businesses while embracing the mindset of empowerment... That would make the best type of Black History for me.
Nuff Said