Skeletor The Invincible Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Lions | Cochran, Mehri Not Happy - posted at KFFL 4:28 PT: Updating previous reports, the Detroit Free Press reports lawyers Johnny Cochran and Cyrus Mehri are not happy at all with the way the Detroit Lions have handled interviews for their head-coaching position. “As they seek to hire a new head coach, the Detroit Lions have seriously threatened to undermine and potentially violate the new NFL minority hiring policy provided by team owners in December,” the pair said in a statement. “Prior to conducting a single interview, general manager Matt Millen essentially crowned Steve Mariucci as the Lions’ new head coach. He might well have put up a sign at Lions headquarters reading, ‘Head Coaching Vacancy: Minorities Need Not Apply.” ---- Cochran, I can see what you are trying to do, but you're going about this the wrong way. You're racist, and you're creating racist attitudes by going about this "minority hiring" issue the way you are. I find the fac that GMs must interview "minority" candidates racist and irrelevant. I think that whoever is best qualified will get the job. Maybe I am just naive but I think in this day in age, this "quota" rule is just hurting the system that it's trying to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 This policy works under the assumption that all NFL owners are racists--which is a really nice way for things to work. Instead of the Lions putting up a sign that says "No minorities need apply", it should have read "No one other than Mariucci need apply." If I were a black coach like Ted Cotrell or Lovie Smith and I was constantly being asked to interview for jobs just to fill the "black coach quota interview", I would tell teams that they could blow me. It's insulting to everyone involved. There are enough good black assistants out there...they will get their shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Brasi Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I see your point, but realize what would happen if he didn't respond at all. No one would take him seriously from this point forward. He has to respond like this everytime this policy is not followed through with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I think his policy is idiotic. It hurts black coaches more than anyone else. There are many deserving black coaches out there who will get a shot...but now when they do, people will assume that this policy had a hand in it...that they did not get the job solely on the basis of their own merit. The fact is, some coaches are really only qualified to be coordinators...Norv Turner comes to mind. Other coahces have what it takes to run and motivate a team. It should not be assumed that anyone who rises to the rank of coordinator is entitled to a shot at a head coaching job--see Jim Johnson in Philly, Ray Rhodes (who is open in his preference of being a DC), and Monty Kiffin, who has no interest in being a head coach. I honestly belive that without this policy, all deserving candidates of any race would get a fair shot. The NFL is too competitive for owners to not hire the best available candidate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I remember during the SB, one announcer asked "How many NFL owners, right now, wish they'd given Oakland 4 firsts, 4 seconds, and $16M (twice what the Bucs gave), just to be here right now?" NFL owners, even if you assume they're racist, (which isn't proven by a long shot), will do just about anything to win. (Granted, if they are racist, then they'll simply think that the minority candidates won't win. But, in that case, the minority will simply go somewhere else and prove them wrong. The only way the NFL stays racist is if the racism is unanimous.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 You don't get to be a wildly successful business man (the kind that can afford an NFL team) by disqualifying worthy candidates on the basis of race. You succeed by surrounding yourself with the most qualified people, with no regard for race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 You don't get to be a wildly successful business man (the kind that can afford an NFL team) by disqualifying worthy candidates on the basis of race. You succeed by surrounding yourself with the most qualified people, with no regard for race Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddha Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 As far as I'm concerned, until Johnnie Cochran gets an NFL team to hire a half-Filipino head coach, he can bite my @ss. My people can't even seem to get a job operating the Dial-a-Down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Now that...was funny...and I don't even know what a Dial-a-down is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleSteve Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Originally posted by GGB81 Now that...was funny...and I don't even know what a Dial-a-down is. The sideline marker that is placed at the position of the ball and shows the down (1-2-3-4) on top. The number is changed by "dialing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRock Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Geez, i'm not even going to take the time to read this arcticle thoroughly. Will these people ever stop complaining about racism. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDiplomat Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Not until its completely erased from society. I know that is a high goal, but it needs to be depleted. Ignorance describes one who is racist. Equality should exist in America. For too many years its been going on. Im only 15 and I have experienced racism plenty of times in public, and even at school. Its pretty sad, but people need to know it does exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posse81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I'm not going to enter a discussion about Cochran, but really there is no question that race IS a problem when it comes to hiring head coaches in the NFL. I feel that the policy which says that you have to interview minority candidates for a vacancy is flawed, but the problem exists. Consider the fact that guys like Rich Kotite and Bruce Coslet get multiple opportunities in this league and a guy like Marvin Lewis, who ran one of the best defenses in NFL history has to accept the one offer he gets, from the laughingstcok of the league. Where is Emmitt Thomas' name? Has Art Shell even been mentioned for an opening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins87 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I have experienced racism before as well. Black people have discriminated against me. I grew up in a majority black area, and I can tell you that black people are just as capable of racism as any other group. It goes both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theposse Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 I can see where people find this rule annoying and in some cases it doesn't work out, like when the Cowboys were hiring, they were obviously going to take Parcells if he'd have them, and nobody can really argue with that. But, those who think that if nobody speaks up about it, or tries to force changes, that it will naturally change, are naive. I'm reading "Stupid White Men" by Michael Moore (the (white) guy who directed Roger & Me and Bowling for Columbine) and there was a stat that really stood out to me. Right now, the average black American makes 61% less than the average white American. That is a pretty strong stat, but what I found even sadder is that there was the exact same percentage differential in 1880! So, in the last 120 years, nothing's changed when it comes down to the bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 The rule is idiotic. Mooch is INSTANTLY the best candidate out there. No question about it. For the Lions to have to put on a dog and pony show wastes everyones time. I think it would be funny as hell if they brought in some stereotypical pimpdaddy off the street to "interview". Then look at Cochran and say "well, we tried". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Or what if they interview a Hispanic candidate? I don't think Cochran would appreciate that. It is not a minority policy...it is a black head coaches policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 That is true- what would happen if an NFL team were to interview or hire a hispanic or asian or some other "minority" group. Would he still complain? I think he would. People like Cochran's main intrest is not fairness or equality- it's money. A reason to sue someone so he get's his share. It is more insulting to call anyone a minority, because classifying people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeCarl Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Why can't women coach in the NFL, for that matter? For whatever it's worth, I think it's pretty disingenuous to claim there's no racism among the owners when the statistics are so glaring. But it's no different than in most of aspects of our lives. Who are the racists, anyway? I don't believe I've ever seen anyone publicly admit they were racists. In fact, I've seen White Suprematicists and Ku Klux Klansmen sincerely deny they are racist. I'll bet the sick SOBs who dragged that black man to death in Texas behind their truck would deny they are racists. The term is so highly charged that we can't deal with it. I don't think the owners are evil. But they want a close relationship with their head coach and that usually means they're going to pick someone who looks sorta like them...who speaks sorta like them...someone they can relate to. And since all the owners are white, that makes it pretty tough on the African-American candidates. And it probably means that Norv Turner will find a HC job in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 If I'm Millen and my job is on the line, I don't even bother with an unproven candidate, black or white. It's quite simple and understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRock Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 There IS racism in today's society, but to me, african-americans are the ones that keep bringing it up. That's all they ever talk about. In their comedy skits, on their tv shows and even in all their movies. When something in the U.S. happens that could be even be remotely considered racist against a black person, the naacp,cochran, or somebody will flip the issue every way possible and blow it totally out of porportion. To me, african-americans are keeping the issue of racism between whites and blacks going. I do have many black friends that do not even think of race as an issue and see the person for who they are, not the color of their skin. :peace1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDiplomat Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Race is an issue. People in general need to realize that. Racism does go both ways, I wont deny that, but if a situation comes up in America and is in any way related to racism it needs to brought up and spoken of. Thats the only way to change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSF Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 What happens if no black guys go to interview with the Lions because they know it's just a token interview? Do the Lions get in trouble then? No question black coaches still get a bad deal in the NFL. This law doesn't help them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 That did happen-a article on NFL.com says that several canidates turned-down interviews, including Dennis Green because they knew that Marriucci was their guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathByLinebacker Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Originally posted by GGB81 Or what if they interview a Hispanic candidate? I don't think Cochran would appreciate that. It is not a minority policy...it is a black head coaches policy. The difference between Black candidates and Hispanic or Asian or whatever candidates is that the NFL is dominated by Black players and there are very few Hispanic or Asian players. Cochran has a bad name, probably derservingly so, because of OJ, but he's fighting a battle that needs to be fought. It's easy to criticize someone like him every time he ****es about something, but if it weren't for people actively fighting the status quo nothing would ever change. Having said that, the system they came up with is idiotic and accomplishes nothing. I can't say I have a better plan, other than Black ownership, but this experiment is clearly a failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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