We have now learned that the Raiders have hired Jon Gruden to come back to the organization that traded him. Although, prior to the decision being announced, the NFL made a statement regarding the team’s following of the Rooney Rule, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). League spokesperson Joe Lockhart stated that, “We believe the Rooney Rule was complied with. Minorities candidates were interviewed. We’ll see what decision they make.”
There had been some questioning coming from around the NFL that the Raiders were clearly violating the spirit of the rule given there all-in pursuit of their former head coach. It was reported yesterday that the team had interviewed tight ends coach Bobby Johnson for the position, but it did not seem like a legitimate interview because it was widely known that the Raiders were after the former Monday Night Football analyst.
The Rooney Rule makes it so at least one minority candidate must be interviewed for all head coach or senior football operations positions in the NFL. It was first implemented back in 2003 in order to promote diversity among NFL front offices and coaching staffs. However, it’s clearly been just a hurdle for teams to get over in multiple cases, including this one.
Clearly the Raiders did interview a minority candidate as a means to comply with the rule, and at this point the league appears to be satisfied with how the franchise conducted the search. We’ll have to wait and see if the NFL makes any changes to the rule moving forward, but this news has made clear that a team can do the bare minimum to comply without any punishment.
Is it true Gruden got a 10 year contract?
10/100. It’s absolutely ridiculous
Only way to get him out of Bristol.
“a team can do the bare minimum to comply without any punishment.”
Yes, that’s how rules work.
Well said. There’s a rule. They coming lied to the letter of the rule.
It’s a stupid rule anyway. Candidates should be interviewed based on qualifications and experience. Not the color of there skin.
Complied. Oops.
You sound confused. The rule was adopted for a reason. Maybe you should learn something about the history of the league and it’s hiting practices.
What’s hiting? You sound confused.
Just like unions were started for a reason. Things change in time. Neither are needed as they were at one time.
unions aren’t needed? are you insane?
get rid of the right to unionize and see how many people are paid minimum wage and little to no benefits.
The market determines wages. Always has, always will. This is coming from someone who grew up in a union household.
The rule is a joke and does nothing for hiring practices
The Colts would NOT have had to give a white coach a sham interview if they wanted to rehire Tony Dungy.
The NFL has different rules for Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden based on the color of their skin.
The headcoaches are 99% white, get a clue.
No, they’re not 99% white. That’s simply a false statement. Get a clue.
the Rooney rule is a joke and the NFL should be embarrassed the way they institute it
White people calling a system that benefits other peoples besides them a joke is a bigger joke. Blacks, hispanics, asians, etc. don’t get consideration for these jobs. If you have to ask yourself why they don’t, you’re a bigger dope than I though you were.
Wait, Ron Rivera isn’t Hispanic? Todd Bowles, Mike Tomlin and Anthony Lynn aren’t black? When did this happen?
Well they do not get consideration now either as all someone has to do is interview any token black person for the job. You think the pretend interview promotes better hiring practices?
No one is hiring or not hiring people coaches in 2018 based on their skin color. The Rooney Rule is stupid.
*hiring coaches – sorry
I think the Rooney Rule should be dropped. Let teams interview who they want to based on their own assessment of ability. And if they’re boneheaded enough to think skin color or gender is as important as that person’s coaching ability or knowledge of the game then let them slip on their own banana peel. If the best person for the job is a black woman, I’m hiring her.
Davis looks like a Megan’s law registered guy. All that money, could he look a little less weird?
You have it backwards. With all that money, he can afford to look that weird.
The Rooney Rule itself is, by definition, racist. Doing anything based solely on skin color is racism. Even if it’s in a complimentary way.
The debate about the rooney rule is dumb. If the hiring team truly is being racist, the rooney rule does not protect the minority person involved. The team simply would write off the interviewee once everything was complied with, so it doesn’t help, at all. In cases where the team already knows who they’ll shift to, it makes for unnecessary hurdles to jump. The process isn’t going to be a race thing, and like I said, if it somehow is, the rule doesn’t defend from it. To me, it makes the league look poor really, that they apparently view this to be issue enough that they try to curtail it, while doing nothing about it.