NFL Rooney Rule

The Washington Post's continued mentioning of the NFL's Rooney Rule when a minority candidate is interviewed for the Washington Redskins head coaching position is a disservice and a slap in the face of affirmative action efforts everywhere. In a recent Post sports column, "Colts' Meeks talks to Redskins" the reporter should have mentioned only that he is a great coach without mention of color but instead, after stating he was the fifth candidate for the position, added the disclaimer that the interview "fulfills the NFL's Rooney Rule"... stipulating that a team must interview one minority candidate. Did they ever think of the impact of this caveat? Was there any consideration of how this would make Ron Meeks feel about the interview? Was he just selected to interview only because he is a minority so as to not have repercussions from the league?

That inclusion of the Rooney Rule in the article serves no purpose, is incredulous and unprincipled comments that have nothing to do with Mr. Meeks' qualifications. How would any applicant for any position feel who read the next day that they helped the company they interviewed with fulfill some directed affirmative action requirement? I do not think it would give anyone much confidence that they are under serious consideration for the position. Ron Meeks should have been interviewed solely because he is a great defensive coach that is now in line for a head coaching position in the NFL.

Any affirmative action good faith effort is suppose to be just that. A good faith effort to ensure that companies have the opportunity to interview all qualified candidates regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or any other protected category and that everyone has the equal opportunity for the position. With the Washington Post stating Mr. Meeks helped the Washington Redskins fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement, you basically paint the picture of an "Affirmative Action Only Candidate" stamp on a superbly qualified candidate. It is time to leave the rule unpublished in the news media and keep it as an internal rule for the league that has good intentions. It should not be broadcast and attached to every person who interviews that "fulfills" this requirement. Interviewing qualified diverse candidates should be the right thing to do not something any organization does just to protect itself.