Report: Shanahan to DC done deal

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I wonder though if all this commotion would be happening if it was Tony Dungy that was rumored to be coming here, not Mike Shanahan.

Just wanted to bump this to see what people thought

[Son Of Man]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Just wanted to bump this to see what people thought

Probably not. I would actually love to get Dungy here, though that has nothing to do with race...just football.

[12thMan]

Sure, but in a different way. I think Dungy brings a different type of stability to an organization. I think the difference is that Shanny could perhaps establish a winning team, but Dungy would establish a winning culture first, and then everything else would follow.

I think those are the main two differences between the two. And quite frankly, I think folks would be more patient with Dungy on board knowing that it's a matter of when, not if. With Shanny I think he has a three, maybe four year window to right the ship.

[12thMan]

As far as race is concerned, I think Dungy would have instant cred with the black players on the team. It's just one of those intangible qualities that Dungy brings to the table. And yes, because he's black.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I wonder though if all this commotion would be happening if it was Tony Dungy that was rumored to be coming here, not Mike Shanahan.

I don't see how the commotion would be the same, since the spirit and letter of the Rooney Rule would clearly have been satisfied.

Instead there would be a different commotion, such as the negative effect that in-season hiring has had on on-field play.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

As far as race is concerned, I think Dungy would have instant cred with the black players on the team. It's just one of those intangible qualities that Dungy brings to the table. And yes, because he's black.

Well race is what I was getting at. Would there be such a fuss about whether Snyder is adhering to the "spirit" of the Rooney Rule if Dungy was the one presumed to be our next head coach

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I don't see how the commotion would be the same, since the spirit and letter of the Rooney Rule would clearly have been satisfied.

Instead there would be a different commotion, such as the negative effect that in-season hiring has had on on-field play.

How would it have been clearly satisfied?

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by redsk1

I don't think it is. It's the NFL. Owners/GM's don't wait til after the season to talk to/interview potential candidates w/ a coach who they know is gone. I'd feel worse if they waited til after JZ was fired to start the process.

Hopefully the circus will be over soon and we can expect Mike S to be around for 5+ years.

Then have some balls like Ralph Wilson and fire the guy. Then have an interm HC. That way you can get the process started early. Embarassing someone, leaving some hung out to dry is very unprofessional IMO. And Gray is just Dan's token bitch. He's only screwing himself.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Zorn is the first lame duck coach?

Of course not. I'm just saying there is a way of going about things.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

As far as race is concerned, I think Dungy would have instant cred with the black players on the team. It's just one of those intangible qualities that Dungy brings to the table. And yes, because he's black.

I think Tony would bring instant cred with ALL players.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well race is what I was getting at. Would there be such a fuss about whether Snyder is adhering to the "spirit" of the Rooney Rule if Dungy was the one presumed to be our next head coach

Oh, I wasn't sure. Are you kidding me, hell NO. Dungy is bigger than the Rooney Rule anyway. You know. The Rooney Rule is in place for the no-name black candidates, not the successful black candidates. In that regard, I suppose, success supercedes race and color. But yeah, if we interviewed Dungy I don't think the Rooney Rule would enter most peoples minds. Dungy is a great coach period.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

I think Tony would bring instant cred with ALL players.

Obvi, but since race came up I was pointing that out.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Oh, I wasn't sure. Are you kidding me, hell NO. Dungy is bigger than the Rooney Rule anyway. You know. The Rooney Rule is in place for the no-name black candidates, not the successful black candidates. In that regard, I suppose, success supercedes race and color. But yeah, if we interviewed Dungy I don't think the Rooney Rule would enter most peoples minds. Dungy is a great coach period.

So that doesn't seem fair then does it. Like you said it's in place for the no-names (guys like Jerry Gray), not the successful ones. So it's just kind of interesting I guess that such a fuss is being made about Gray interviewing with Shanahan the odds on favorite to get the job anyway. But if we were talking about Dungy then we wouldn't care if Gray was a token interview or if Snyder was making a mockery of the rule?

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So that doesn't seem fair then does it. Like you said it's in place for the no-names (guys like Jerry Gray), not the successful ones. So it's just kind of interesting I guess that such a fuss is being made about Gray interviewing with Shanahan the odds on favorite to get the job anyway. But if we were talking about Dungy then we wouldn't care if Gray was a token interview or if Snyder was making a mockery of the rule?

Pretty much. The rule will be made a mockery of, unfortunately, because you have such a small pool of good coaching candidates to begin with. Whittle that same pool down to an even smaller pool of maybe qualified black coaches, and you open it up to criticism.

Truth is the Rooney Rule is created for that one guy who turns out to be Joe Gibbs before he becomes Joe Gibbs. The downside is there aren't that many Joe Gibbs out there, so you have to sift through all the Jerry Grays of the NFL to satisfy some bullshit token rule.

[12thMan]

It's also worth noting that the NFL is the last of the three major professional sports to hire minorities in head positions. Taking that a step further, the Washington Redskins were the last NFL franchise to hire a black player. In fact, George Preston Marshall openly talked about his distaste for black athletes until he brought Bobby Mitchell to D.C. of course.

So the Rooney Rule has direct links to then Redskins owner George P. Marshall openly protesting against having black players on his roster. Rooney, in opposition then and now, saw it fit to institute a rule to level the playing field so to speak.