Report: Shanahan in Talks with Redskins

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

Jim Zorn is probably the only person who thinks he has a chance to return in any capacity. The notion that he would remain in a reduced role is absurd. Even if Zorn were open to the idea, there's no way ANY new HC would retain his predecessor on the staff. It would simply create too many awkward situations. The only part about this story that bothers me does deal with the rooney rule. I'm sure the skins will be in compliance with the letter of the rule, but they certainly arent in its spirit. It also bothers me that a minority coach would willingly allow himself to be manipulated by "interviewing" for a position they knew full well they had no chance of getting.

If I were a minority coach in the NFL, i would rather not have a rooney rule at all than one that allowed me to be manipulated and taken advantage of. Its cheap and degrading in my opinion. If the Skins or any team wants to hire a Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden, etc... then that's their right. but the reality is they're not going to give anyone else - regardless of race - serious consideration. the rooney rule turns decent men into pawns. its a complete sham and needs to be revised or done away with entirely.

I use to think that way about the Rooney Rule but you know what it gives you a chance. It is your 15 minutes of fame with Dan and if you can knock his socks off, you just might change his mind.

Buster Douglas would have never beaten Mike Tyson if he had not been given the chance to fight him.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by mredskins

I use to think that way about the Rooney Rule but you know what it gives you a chance. It is your 15 minutes of fame with Dan and if you can knock his socks off, you just might change his mind.

Buster Douglas would have never beaten Mike Tyson if he had not been given the chance to fight him.

Or as I said, give a minority coach or young executive the opportunity to get the interview experience. For instance, Morocco Brown may not have had a shot at the GM position...or maybe he would have...but he got the chance to interview with an NFL owner about the GM position.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Or as I said, give a minority coach or young executive the opportunity to get the interview experience. For instance, Morocco Brown may not have had a shot at the GM position...or maybe he would have...but he got the chance to interview with an NFL owner about the GM position.

That's one way to look at it; however I look at that as "taking lemons and trying to make lemonade." It doesn't change the underlying truth that discrimination is taking place - minority coaches (or execs) get token interviews while non-minority coaches don't. Or, on the flip side - minority coaches get manipulated when they have no chance of getting a job; where as non-minoirty coaches arent.

I may be naive, but I don't think the rule, as its currently designed, has ever done any good. Mike Tomlin was not a Rooney-Rule Interview. He would have been interviewed regardless of his skin color. However, we all know no one has ever seriously considered hiring Ron Meeks to be their head coach. Yet, he interviews for jobs every year. Its a sham and its degrading.