Seattle Seahawks Coaching Search Proves Rooney Rule Is a Joke

The NFL's so-called "Rooney Rule" requires that teams interview a minority candidate when they have a head coaching vacancy. Well, the spirit of the rule seems to have been violated by the Seattle Seahawks.

For it's apparent Leslie Frazier has only been asked to interview for the Seahawks job to satisfy the rule, for it is obvious that USC's Pete Carroll is already the choice of the Seahawks football team.

And why should that be? Frazier is the hot defensive coordinator, yet because he is black he is only considered a token interview? That stinks of racism.

I'm not saying that teams should hire a minority if the best candidate is white. No, that would be silly. But if that is the case, just bite the bullet and say look, we want to hire Carroll and will pay the fine.

For the spirit of the rule is not just to grant a token interview, it is to give a minority an honest chance to land a job. So if that chance isn't really there, why do it at all?

Well, I'll tell you why, it's to avoid trouble with the league. And I'm sure that is making Rooney turn over in his grave.

For if that is all this rule accomplishes, then it has failed. If I'm Frazier, I not only won't interview, I kick Seattle's GM in the crotch for disrespecting me.

Hey, this happens in baseball, too. Yet it is more apparent in football than any other sport.

So good luck to Pete Carroll, I have nothing against the man. I just hope that Leslie Frazier gets a real opportunity someday.