When the Panthers hired Marty Hurney to be the team’s interim GM without first interviewing any minority candidates, some wondered if the team was in violation of the Rooney Rule. Apparently, that’s not the case. The NFL tells ESPN.com’s David Newton (Twitter link) that the Panthers did not run afoul of the mandate since Hurney has only been given the job on an interim basis.
When the Panthers hire their true GM down the line, they will be required to satisfy the Rooney Rule. That mandate still applies, even if Hurney somehow winds up being the full-time hire.
It’s conceivable that the league will look to close this loophole next offseason. Recently, the NFL “informally” extended the Rooney Rule to also cover offensive and defensive coordinator positions.
Absolutely ridiculous rule
The rule, in itself, has a good foundation for why it’s been put in place, but it needs some tweaking…
Right now, it is almost looked at as a relative joke…For starters, I think one exclusion to the rule should be if a team is hiring from within their own organization. If they are promoting from within, then the Rooney rule shouldn’t be applicable.
Idk, I’m not sure how you would improve the rule, so I can’t say too much. Like I said, I agree with the intentions behind the rule, but some adjustments are needed.
Serious question…
Would you support a similar rule for white cornerbacks?
There are few (if ANY) white cornerbacks in the NFL, should teams have to give a try out to at least one white corner before signing or trading for a cornerback?
Why or why not?
That’s an interesting thought, but my answer is no. If they’re not good enough, there’s no sense in wasting the time trying them out. I like the creativity though.
I don’t like commenting on issues like this because it seems like there’s always a fine line you have to walk in order to not offend anyone. That said, I don’t like the Rooney Rule. I get why it’s in place; diversity is important, and at the very least it attempts to protect against segregation. But it almost seems to make a mockery of minorities, at least the way I see it, especially when there isn’t a minority candidate that’s clearly qualified. If I were a minority candidate, I’d be more offended if a team interviewed me just as a formality to satisfy a rule and wasted my time than I’d be if a team just told me they weren’t interested. I can’t remember who it was (I think it Harold Goodwin during the last round of coaching interviews but I’m not sure), but there was a candidate who came right out and said he only thought some teams interviewed him to satisfy the rule. What good does that do?