Fritz Pollard Alliance Applauds NFL for Historic Super Bowl Referee Pick Jerome Boger

WASHINGTON, DC (January 30, 2013) – Just days after the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA) delivered a letter to senior officials at the National Football League (NFL) calling for the expansion of the Rooney Rule, vicious rumors have surfaced attacking the league’s Super Bowl 48 referee pick Jerome Boger, who would be only the second African-American to serve in that role in the history of the game. An affinity group of minority coaches and front office, scouting and game day officials in the NFL tasked with advising the league on its hiring practices, the FPA has advocated for more game-day officials of color for years, and views the NFL’s pick as an historic, commendable milestone.

Statements from FPA Chairman John Wooten:

“We celebrate the selection of Jerome Boger as the referee for the game. Boger is one of the most respected officials in the NFL.  It is not at all surprising that he ranked number one among referees in the League’s scoring system for game day officials.    He earned the right to be the Super Bowl referee through his hard work and nearly flawless year of officiating.

“The attacks on his selection are unfair, inaccurate and offensive. Statements that his grades were improperly adjusted are flat-out wrong. That did not happen and could not have happened. The League has an elaborate system of checks and balances and changes to the grading only occur after careful review and agreement by nine supervisors. There is also an appeal process. The final scoring is calculated by an outside vendor.  After a 17 week season Jerome came out number one in the scoring system fair and square.

“Ray Anderson has done outstanding work as a senior executive at the NFL in charge of football operations. His work is stellar and under his stewardship NFL football has become a better and safer game.  He has also taken the measures to ensure that the grading system for game day officials is fair and accurate and applies equally to all officials.

“We also applaud the tenure of Carl Johnson who has been an outstanding Vice President of Officiating and is retiring from that position after Super Bowl Sunday.”

Statement from FPA co-founder and counsel Cyrus Mehri:

“It is deeply disappointing that there is racial backlash against a person of color who happened this year to be selected after this elaborate and accurate process. Jerome is a fine individual who is beloved by his peers, and he deserves better.

“On Sunday night, let’s enjoy the game and unite as a country, as people of all backgrounds, and not let irresponsible individuals divide us.”

Mehri, who has been invited over by the Professional Footballers’ Association, plans to meet powerbrokers in the English game.

Standing alone: Norwich’s Chris Hughton

He will also speak to about 30 black players and former players who have taken their coaching badges and want senior management jobs.

Mehri, a top lawyer, pioneered a system that required all NFL teams to include at least one black or ethnic minority candidate in interviews for all senior management posts.

It was introduced in 2003 and named the Rooney Rule after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who drafted it.

Since it was introduced the percentage of general managers from ethnic minority backgrounds has risen from one per cent to 20 per cent in the NFL.

There is growing anger among the PFA’s black players who feel they are not getting the chance to be manage or coach at the top.

Indeed, Norwich’s Chris Hughton is the Premier League’s only black manager.

The boycott by Rio Ferdinand and others over ‘Kick It Out’ antiracism shirts encouraged members of the union to bring Rooney over.

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 January 19, 2013

Robert Gulliver
Executive Vice-President of Human Resources
National Football League
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Jeff Pash
Executive Vice-President and General Counsel
National Football League
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY  10017

Dear Robert and Jeff,

As the Fritz Pollard Alliance enters its tenth year, we have been reflecting on how we have grown as an organization and on the outstanding relationship we have developed with the both of you, the Commissioner, and the rest of the league’s front office.  We are proud of this partnership and the equal opportunity gains it has produced.  

We have read and we agree with Robert’s recent statement that from a diversity perspective this has been a disappointing head coach and general manager hiring cycle.  Eight teams had head coach openings and now all eight teams have hired.  None has hired a minority.  The result is that only four of the league’s 32 teams have a minority head coach.  These are the lowest head coach diversity numbers the league has seen since 2003, when the Rooney Rule was just implemented.   Similarly, no minority front office candidate was selected for any of the vacant GM positions.

We would like to take this opportunity to set forth in writing some suggestions that we have been recently discussing with Robert, Troy, and others in the League office.  We believe that for the Rule to be as effective as it can be it must be expanded to apply to offensive and defensive coordinators and assistant head coaches as well.  We believe pipeline issues are a part of the reason we’ve seen a reduction in head coaches of color over the past few years, and this expansion will diversify the head coaching pipeline.  In particular, far too few minority coaches have been given offensive coordinator and play calling responsibilities, and in this quarterback-dominated era it seems clubs are increasingly looking for offensive coaches to fill head coaching positions.  Without this expansion of the Rooney Rule, it is hard for us to see minority coaches in the league getting the head coaching opportunities they deserve. 

As such, although we believe that a new head coach coming in should have the right to construct his staff as he wishes, in the case of a sitting head coach we propose that the Rooney Rule apply to all offensive and defensive coordinator and assistant head coach hirings.  In addition, to ensure continued equal opportunity in the clubs’ front offices, we propose that the Rooney Rule apply when club presidents are hired. 

Finally, again to expand opportunity as widely as possible, we propose that the NFL reinitiate its front office and coaching symposia with the purpose of training coaches and front office personnel to be ready to take over when the opportunity arises.  We would suggest that each club submit two people – one of whom is a minority – from each category for participation in the symposia.  For the reasons outlined above, it is very important that play calling be a part of the training program for coaches and that this training extends into the preseason games.  We have a plan, which we would like to share with you, for the way in which this play calling training can be implemented.

We are confident that these proposals will be effective in expanding opportunity and making the NFL an even better place to work and play.  We look forward to hearing from you and discussing these proposals with you at your earliest convenience.

                                                 Sincerely,

John Wooten                                                                                   Harry Carson  
             Chairman                                                                                 Executive Director

 cc:     Ray Anderson
            Troy Vincent          
            Cyrus Mehri

Rooney Rule Fact Sheet
January 22, 2013

In January of 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Tony Dungy – their all-time most successful coach – on the heels of the franchise’s best ever string of seasons, leaving the 32-team National Football League with one minority head coach.  The firing was emblematic of what minority coaches in the NFL had long felt: although minorities made up roughly 70 percent of the league’s players, minority coaches were generally the last hired and first fired.

Civil Rights lawyers Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. were furious with Dungy’s firing and they believed it was the result of systematic racial discrimination in the NFL.  They Commissioned a University of Pennsylvania labor economist to compare the win-loss records of NFL head coaches by race over the previous 15 seasons, and the results were stunning.  African American coaches won more games than white coaches but were less likely to obtain and retain head coaching positions.  Mehri and Cochran used the University of Pennsylvania study as the basis of a report they titled “Black Coaches in the National Football League: Superior Performance; Inferior Opportunities” and sent it to the NFL’s New York headquarters.  Ultimately, after several months of deliberation, the NFL implemented one of Mehri and Cochran’s principal proposals:  that every team looking for a head coach should interview at least one minority candidate before making a hire.  Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney was one of the proposal’s stalwart advocates as the NFL owners consider it, and the initiative therefore took his name: The Rooney Rule.

The Rooney Rule has been very effective in increasing diversity among the NFL’s head coaches during its ten year existence:

• In the NFL’s 80-plus year existence before the Rooney Rule’s adoption, six African Americans had been NFL head coaches.   In the ten years since, eleven African Americans and one Latino have been hired as NFL head coaches:  Marvin Lewis of the Bengals,  Lovie Smith of the Bears, Herman Edwards of the Chiefs (who was hired for his first head coach job by the Jets before the Rooney Rule was enacted), Romeo Crennel of the Browns and then of the Chiefs, Art Shell of the Raiders (who was hired for his first head coach job by the Raiders before the Rooney Rule was enacted), Mike Tomlin of the Steelers, Mike Singletary of the 49ers, Jim Caldwell of the Colts, Raheem Morris of the Buccaneers, Leslie Frazier of the Vikings, Hue Jackson of the Raiders, and Ron Rivera of the Panthers
• The last seven Super Bowls (inclusive of the 2013 Super Bowl) have featured five African American head coaches (Lovie Smith of the Bears, Tony Dungy of the Colts, twice Mike Tomlin of the Steelers,  and Jim Caldwell of the Colts)
• In 2007, the NFL expanded the Rooney Rule to apply to the General Manager position
• The last seven Super Bowls (inclusive of the 2013 Super Bowl) have featured four African American General Managers  (twice Jerry Reese of the Giants, Rod Graves of the Cardinals, and Ozzie Newsome of the Ravens)
• The last seven Super Bowls (inclusive of the 2013 Super Bowl) have featured at least one African American head coach or general manager

In recent years, however, the number of minority head coaches in the NFL has decreased, and this past hiring cycle has been particularly disappointing from a diversity perspective:

• Eight teams conducted head coach searches.  None of the eight hired a minority head coach
• Seven teams conducted general manager searches.  None of the seven hired a minority general manager
• There are now only four minority head coaches in the NFL, the fewest there have been in a decade
• In the last two seasons Super Bowl Coaches Jim Caldwell and Lovie Smith and Super Bowl GM Rod Graves have lost their jobs

In light of these developments, it appears the NFL’s diversity initiatives need a jolt, a part of which should be an altered and strengthened Rooney Rule.

Fritz Pollard Alliance Challenges NFL to Expand Rooney Rule After Dismal Hiring Season

Groundbreaking Policy Recommended for Coordinator,
Assistant Head Coach, and President Positions

WASHINGTON, DC (January 22, 2013)—In a letter to National Football League (NFL) executives sent Tuesday, the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA) — an affinity group of minority coaches, front office and scouting personnel established ten years ago -called for an expansion of the league’s historic diversity initiative, the Rooney Rule, to include coordinator, assistant head coach, and club president positions. The proposal comes shortly after NFL teams formalized their 2013 head coach and general manager hires, none of whom are minorities.

In a letter to Executive Vice President of Human Resources Robert Gulliver and Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Pash, the FPA noted, “We have read and we agree with Robert’s recent statement that from a diversity perspective, this has been a disappointing head coach and general manager hiring cycle. We would like to take this opportunity to set forth in writing some suggestions that we have been recently discussing with Robert, Troy [Vincent], and others in the League office…

“We believe that for the Rule to be as effective as it can be, it must be expanded to apply to offensive and defensive coordinators and assistant head coaches as well.  We believe pipeline issues are a part of the reason we’ve seen a reduction in head coaches of color over the past few years, and this expansion will diversify the head coaching pipeline.”

The letter was signed by John Wooten and Harry Carson, Chairman and Executive Director of the FPA, respectively.

Now in its tenth year, the Rooney Rule provides that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for any open head coach position, and has led to the hiring of a record number of African-American coaches since its implementation in 2003. However, with the recent dismissals of Lovie Smith and Romeo Crennel, and no additional minority hires, only four of 32 teams have an African-American or Latino head coach— the lowest head coach diversity numbers the league has seen in a decade. Similarly, no minority front office candidate was selected for any of the vacant GM positions.

“We know that the clubs individually and collectively can do better,” said Cyrus Mehri, co-founder and counsel of the  FPA and a key architect of the original Rooney Rule. “We believe that extending the Rooney Rule to the coordinator, assistant head coach and president positions will deepen the pipeline and enhance the competition for the top jobs in the years ahead.”

In the letter, the FPA also proposed that the NFL reinitiate its front office and coaching symposia to train coaches and front office personnel to be ready to take over when the opportunity arises.

“In this quarterback-dominated era, it seems clubs are increasingly looking for offensive coaches to fill head coaching positions in particular, and far too few minority coaches have been given offensive coordinator and play-calling responsibilities,” said Mr. Mehri. “We want to see a special focus on offensive coordinator and play calling duties going forward.  We have many experienced wide receiver and running back position coaches ready to be coordinators now.”

“Last night at the Senior Bowl, we met with a good cross section of our members,” said Mr. Wooten. “They are very frustrated and disappointed with the recent hiring stats, but they are behind this new call to action. And just a day after Martin Luther King Day, we have to remember Dr. King’s words: the arc of history bends towards justice. We will learn from this and move forward in a positive way.”

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Watch John Wooten’s induction live  @ESPN @collegeFBhof Congratulations!

http://www.footballfoundation.org/Home/tabid/494/modId/2482/
key/EventDetail/start/634902426000000000/eventid/3/Default.aspx

One of the first two African-American varsity football players at CU (with Frank Clarke), in 1989, he was selected as a first-team member of CU’s All-Century Team