Jesse Jackson Not Happy With Alabama's Coach Selection

Timing,
What do you suggest be done to "fix" the SEC?

I agree that there is a glaring problem in College and Pro sports in regards to black coaches, but I don't know how to fix this problem. I think it's almost impossible to fix this problem and create a totally fair system of hiring coaches. I think AD's are damned if they do, damned if they don't in these cases, especially in the South. If you hire a black coach, there will be a backlash from your fan base (I wish I could say this would only be minor, but racism is still strong in some areas of the South). If you don't hire a black coach, there's a backlash from minority based organizations.

This discussion isn't just a sports deal of course, it's getting to take decades and possible centuries before this country will ever see a truely fair and equal system for the hiring and firing of people.

I hate reading people b**** about a problem though without providing a solution. So I want to know what you think will solve this problem...

 

Your logical and coherent argument consisted of perpetuating racism in hiring at Alabama and yet a Deliverance reference from me for your completely backwards ass good ole boy attitude makes me a racist. How freaking incredibly stupid is that. I have an idea, why don't you stop wasting my time with your ignorant bull**** and go watch your Entertainment Tonight reruns and pop in your Christina Aquilera cd. You're probably much better at that than you are at discussing anything of societal importance.

 

Bottom line:

I don't give a rat's A$$ what Jesse "I am a racist pig" Jackson thinks.

DD

 

The first thing is that there needs to be an awareness in our society which there obviously isn't currently. I already said there needs to be a paradigm shift in regards to this issue. There are serious underlying racial problems in America that won't be solved through Affirmative Action in education or in collegiate head coaching. There is a general feeling among too many people that there isn't a problem, that everyone already has a fair shake even though the evidence says otherwise. It's a culture that must be changed to really fix the problem. Also, Jesse Jackson, even if he's right on a particular issue, is too easy a target for the treeman's and Bill O'Reilly's of the world who try to undercut the subject matter with attacks on his integrity. So the emergence of new, respected leadership in the civil rights movement would be a great thing. A program like what appears currently in the NFL might be a nice looking band aid though it'd probably be tougher to implement in college like you mentioned.

 

Yeah, what Timing said.

 

I agree with Timing,

We need to have an awareness that race and skin color are meaningless, and people should be awarded jobs based upon merit only.

DD

 

Even the NFL program is a joke in my opinion...all owners need to do is invite a minority candidate in for the interview and ask a couple questions and leave it at that. I don't agree with any of these leagues trying to force owners/ADs to act like they have any intentions at all to hire a minority. All it does is trivialize the issue in my opinion. I personally find the burden to be the media to help educate the fans about minority coaching candidates. NFL coaches like Tony Dungy and Marv Lewis had been widely thought of as being excellent coordinators by the analysts on ESPN. It took a while for them both to get jobs, but in the end they've both been hired. It probably would have taken a white guy a lot less time to get promoted, but that's just how it is right now. I know Art Shell and Dennis Green are examples of guys that can't even get a whiff of an NFL job nowadays, but I know that at least in Green's case, he will eventually get hired. The quickest way for a coach to get a job is to jump back into the assistant ranks though. Dennis Green would have a better chance of getting a head coaching job if he jumped back in as an offensive coordinator somewhere. Being an analyst doesn't really help in the NFL unless you have a Super Bowl ring.

This is a touchy issue, but I think with the education of the public by the media on great minority coaches, the problem will eventually be solved. I think forcing issues down the throats of the Universities and Pro teams is the wrong way to go because it turns the whole ordeal into a joke. I also think that the issue is so touchy that names like Jesse Jackson do nothing but hurt the issue being fought for. He might be stating facts, but people are not going to listen to a well-known hypocrite. The country is ready for a new minority leader to step up and champion the rights of minorities in this country. Jesse Jackson needs to go away if he wants to help minorities...

In the end, I think racism in sports will go away, but it's going to take a very long time. Forcing the owners and ADs into holding empty interviews with minority candidates will do nothing but increase anger from both sides.

 

Charles Barkley appeared on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption and commented on this. When asked of the subject Barkley responded with something to the effect of the hiring of a black coach would had been helpful in Alabama. During the interview he clearly gave the impression that there is a racial rift in Alabama. (He also makes this clear in his books.) Seeing as Barkley is a native from Alabama it is very hard for me to totally discount everything he said. Barkley has said alot of provocative things but I never felt he was misleading anyone.

To be frank, I think too much emphasis is being placed on Jesse Jackson rather than looking at the real issue here. Mentioning Jesse Jackson invites ridicule which doesn't do this subject much justice. I'm not saying that Croom or any other African American coach should be entitled to the job because of their race. But this could had been a great opportunity missed for not only the school, the southeastern conference, but the state of Alabama. This is a state that had a governor stand in the doorway of a University in order to avert two black students registration from the school in 63'. I'm not saying whitey is at fault here but clearly an opportunity here was missed for all party's and that is unfortunate.

 

Ok, that's it for this one. But, before I go, let me just say how dreadfully predictable some of you have become. I mean, damn, this forum is beginning to sound like...

"Blah, blah, blah blacks."
"Blah, blah, blah racist."
"Blah, blah, blah how dare you."
"Blah, blah, blah how dare you back."

What a broken record.

By the way, if any of you think this is directed only at Timing, think again and re-read the thread. Besides, insert the words abortion, terrorism, religion, Bush, Clinton, liberal, conservative, etc in the place of "racist" and "black" in my dialogue above and you get the picture.