Tag: NFL

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The Rooney Rule and Minority Head Coaches in the NFL

Tarlin and Mike are back to kick off 2021 with a dive into the history and relevance of the “Rooney Rule” which was established in 2003 to ensure that diverse candidates got interviews for open Head Coaching positions. We refer to the research of CC Dubois from the 2017 MIT Sloan Conference where she established a 19-21% positive impact on the diversity of NFL Coaching hires due to the Rooney Rule.

Recent trends in Head Coaching and GM hires in the NFL have brought this back into focus as we now have reverted close to 2003 levels with top Offensive Coordinators like Eric Bienemy and Byron Leftwich somehow being passed over for recent head coach openings. Do “soft” affirmative action practice like the Rooney Rule work? What can we learn from Tony Dungy’s example? What lessons can we apply to the broader world of work and diversity, equity, and inclusion based on what we’re seeing in the NFL?

We explore all of this and touch on the related challenges around the perception of black quarterbacks over the years on our latest episode.

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Kaepernick’s Legacy, September 11th, and QB Controversy

Tarlin and Mike reflect on the opening of the NFL season with a mix of excitement, confusion, and frustration just after the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans began the 2020 NFL season in front of 17,000 live fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The fractured approach to protesting the anthem, with the Texans opting to remain in the locker room before joining the Chiefs for a moment of unity resulted in boos from the fans and confusion from TV viewers like Mike who watched it live.

We run it back to how sports can help us heal in difficult times like after the September 11th attacks in 2001 and contrast that with the unevenness and confusion of the return of football today. We tie much of that to the story of Colin Kaepernick who lost his opportunity to play in the NFL thus far since his protest of police brutality back in 2016. From there, we hit on the history of controversy around the abilities of black quarterbacks which seems mostly a thing of the past as we witness Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and other elite black quarterbacks establish a new understanding of the position.

From there, we quickly run through the QB1s out there to sort out where the most intriguing controversies may arise this year. There’s much to talk about with Aaron Rogers and Jordan Love and we connect that narrative to the Joe Montana and Steve Young era in San Francisco along with the Drew Bledsoe and Jimmy Garrappolo battles with Tom Brady over the years.

We’re happy that football’s back, and in this crazy year, we try to put this season in some context as we run it back to seasons gone by.

And we sprinkle in a bit of Friday Night Lights while we’re at it. Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.

Thanks for listening.