Not Always Black and White: Why the Race Card Is Getting Old

Have you ever noticed how whenever a black player or coach is passed over for a position, the media and fans play the race card?

I am beginning to think it's an overused excuse for a lot of athletes who behave badly and for some coaches who may not be ready to take the big reigns of a head-coaching job.

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan has finally received a job as a head coach in the NFL. The question has to be asked—why did it take him so long?

Here's a guy who has a Super Bowl ring, has coached a top five defense in three of his four years as defensive coordinator and has the distinction of being the son of one of the greatest defensive minds of all time—Buddy Ryan. If he were a black man, would the media say it was about race? I think so.

College football is notorious for bringing up race as a factor, and I won't say it isn't. But, I can say that I see many Asian or Hispanic coaches in college football. Is that about race?

Now, people can bring up how wrong they feel Tyrone Willingham was treated at Notre Dame, but let's be honest—Willingham's record as a head coach has been less than stellar since the Irish hired him away from Stanford in 2001.

Once he got started in South Bend, he went a stellar 8-0 and finished the regular season with 10 wins. Unfortunately for Willingham, his great fortune seemed to end there—he went 11-12 in his next two years and was fired in 2004. Was that about his color or his coaching?

I tend to lean towards the latter; personally, if I were a fan of the Irish and had to endure that kind or performance, I would be calling for his firing too. It's about the "W"—it wouldn't matter if the coach were black, white, or orange. If you aren't winning, you need to go.

Now, you could make the argument that Charlie Weis should have been fired after last season. When you look at the college landscape, which coaching candidate would be a better fit for the Irish right now? It's Weis' system and Weis' players—give him another year. That would be my thinking.

In some cases, you have the people who point at ex-Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's treatment after the dog fighting allegations surfaced. They threw him to the wolves and ruined his career. Many say it's because he was black that he was handled that way.

No—it's because he committed a despicable crime. He wasn't crucified unfairly. The media didn't ruin his career. Newsflash—Michael Vick did that all by himself. He paid for his actions with his career and his image. It's called consequences.

Do black players get arrested more than white players in the NFL? Absolutely. Black players account for 90 percent of the arrests, but they also make up 70 percent of the league. So, you do the math.

You see—it's not that racism doesn't exist. It does. All I am saying is at some point you have to consider other reasons for a player or a coach getting poorly treated. Maybe the coach doesn't interview well or perhaps the school isn't impressed that a Division II coach with a winning record can trump a Division I coach with a losing one.

Was that Gene Chizik hire questionable? You bet. Will it spell doom for the Auburn Tigers? Maybe. But Turner Gill wasn't a guarantee either. At least Chizik has a history with Auburn. Gill’s record prior to that breakout season with Buffalo last year was 7-17 with no bowl wins. Chizik was 5-19, but had success as a coach at Auburn in prior years. Plus, let’s not look over the fact that Auburn also passed over Gary Patterson as well. Last time I looked, he was white.

Race has to stop being the rally cry when an injustice is perceived amongst the masses.

If you are a bad guy, you get arrested. Sometimes, a mediocre coach will get the position over a more qualified guy. No, there aren't many black coaches in the NFL, but it's getting better. Tony Dungy leaves and is replaced by Jim Caldwell, while Mike Nolan is fired and Michael Singletary steps into the position. Mike Tomlin, at 36 years old, is on his way to the Super Bowl.

Black coaches are succeeding and making a place for themselves in the NFL. This is primarily due to the Rooney Rule, but it's progress and it cannot be overlooked.

I will admit, there are always cases where the race rule applies—I am not naive to that point. Perhaps college football needs some tweaking in its hiring practices, considering it's not perfect by any stretch. But, at some point, it has to stop being about the race card.

In a year where we welcome a black president, I am hoping a change will surely come about in all of our thinking.