Now i Know this maybe a sensitive issue for some. So right of the bat i am not racist. But why is it such a big deal that there are 2 black coaches in the superbowl???? In this day and age it should not be an issue of color, but it seems that the tv announcers make it that way. I just dont look at it as race. It is just to damn good coaches leading there team to the superbowl. We are far enough as a society that race shouldnt be an issue but it seems that people in the media want it to be that way. That is where i feel this all comes from. I say great job by Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy. You both are great COACHES! What does everyone else feel?
It didn't even occur to me until I saw this thread. I would not deny for a moment that racism exists, but frankly, in sports, it's pretty color blind, unless I'm just naive.
And...it begins. This should be discussed heavily in the next 2 weeks. I would like not to part in it. Congrats to both coaches but they should be talked about for what they did on the field not the color of their skin. Youth
I think the reason such a big deal is being made out of the issue is that it was not so long ago (1997 or thereabouts) when there was only one african american head coach in the NFL. Now both Super Bowl coaches are aftrican american. That's a huge achievement and likely points towards the majority of NFL coaches being african american at some point in the future. The last argument against having an african american coach - that they can't win it all - is now gone. Given that the majority of the players in the NFL are african american it will not be long before they are suitably represented in the coaching ranks as well. It's a huge deal.
There was already a thread started Here But I feel the same way. The fact that they are Being referred to as "Black Coaches" is a step backwards and shows we still have a ways to go.
It may not be much of a problem now in the pros but it is still a huge problem in the college level so the problem is still there.
Very naive in my opinion. It took a long time for african americans to be allowed to play some positions in the NFL on other than a token basis. The safeties and middle linebackers (the signal callers on defense) were largely caucasian throught the 60's and early 70's before more than token numbers of african american players were accepted in those positions. Then in the late 70's and early 80's a few token african american quarterbacks and centers appeared (the guys who called plays on offense.) Finally in the 90's african american coaches began to appear on the scene, and now we have an african american coach guaranteed to be sitting at the pinnacle of the NFL after the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has been around for 4 decades and no african american had ever head coached in one before this year. That's racism and exclusion by any measure. ZERO participation.
It may be a huge deal to some.... to me it's an easilly ignored sidebar. Teams hire the coaches they think are the best selections to help them win these days. In some temas' FO's I think there is still some bias, but even then, I think most teams will hire the guy that they think will make them the most money.... and that means playoffs. Why do you think the coaching ranks will be dominated by ex-players who are blacks? First off, one doesn't have to be an ex-player to be a good coach. In fact, most HC's were not even good players, if at all. It's a different skill set. Some ex-players can coach, some can't. It isn't a prerequisit (sp)for success by any stretch. It's like saying that since 80% of high school football players are white, then 80% of NFL players should be too. That statement opens another potential can of worms, but is makes as much sense as saying that a coach has to be an ex-player. The sooner we don't have to talk about a player's, a coach's or a GM's race, the better. i coulldnt give a shit what color Mangini is...... as long as he keeps doing what he's doing. Yacking about being the first two black coaches.... is frankly, counterproductive.
I am still waiting for the first stupid question from the media ala Doug Williams. To paraphrase: "How long have you been a black coach?" For those who don't know what I am referring to, Doug Williams was asked "how long he had been a black QB" when he took the Redskins to the Super Bowl.
Who really cares? If you don't see things as black and white, and just recognize that they are two accomplished coaches who deserve to be there, it's a non-issue. The media is already having a field day with their "Two African-American, Black/Minority Coaches." It's taking a step back when folks go out of their way to point this out.
You say that but looking at the college level there are about 7 black coaches coaching right now out of 119 schools, do you seriously believe there isn't something wrong with that figure? and I already know out of my own school's stupid experience, that the choosing of the HC is as much agenda as anything.
Its kinda funny though when they interviewed Dungy and Lovie at the end of their games they tried to ask them all about the black coach stuff both seemed to try to get away from the question. I think in todays NFL its all about money who ever is gonna make them the most money are gonna get hired. But I woudlnt doubt there is still some racism in college where it is less about money.
