NFL Fines Lions $200G Over Coach Search

AP via Earthlink ^ | July 25,2003 | Associated Press

[John W]

ALLEN PARK, Mich. - The NFL on Friday fined Detroit Lions president Matt Millen $200,000 for failing to interview minority candidates before hiring new coach Steve Mariucci.

Mariucci was the only person interviewed for the job after Marty Mornhinweg was fired Jan. 27. Detroit has maintained that five minority candidates turned down interviews because it appeared inevitable Mariucci would be hired.

"While we respectfully disagree with the decision made by the commissioner and the league's diversity committee, we continue to enthusiastically support all initiatives which promote diversity in hiring with respect to coaching and front office positions in the NFL, and remain proud of the Lions' long-standing record of diversity within our employment ranks," team spokesman Bill Keenist said. "We will have no other comments on this issue, choosing rather to focus on the start of training camp and the 2003 football season."

[Unicorn]

Jessie Jackson will be proud.

[CounterCounterCulture]

NFL = No F****** Logic

[Dan from Michigan]

He's from Iron Mtn, which is literally the opposite part of the state than Detroit.

Iron Mtn is in the Western UP.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I wonder, how many black coaches in the NFL will be enough? When would we no longer have to fine teams for not conducting token interviews? If blacks make up, say, 14% of the U.S. population, but above 50% of the players, are players of other races entitled to affirmative action? Yet another example of some being 'more equal than others'.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Freep the NFL...death to your racism!

[Sideshow Bob]

Mariucci, who has a proven track record and is (I believe) from the Detroit area

Actually, he's from the UP (that's the upper peninsula region of Michigan north of Wisconsin) and grew up as a Packers fan.

[HurkinMcGurkin]

That's funny, I heard several black coaches declined an interview because they knew Marriuchi was the Lions' man.

[mhking]

Aw, crud. Don't matter... Just one week of exile left...

Saturday 8/2, 5A ET, Tokyo - American Bowl
(Rebroadcast at 8P ET on ESPN)

 

Monday 8/4, 8P ET, Canton, OH - Hall of Fame Game (ABC)

 

"The League plays here!

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[Catspaw]

See my post #15. Mooch is from Iron Mountain. And Yoopers are Packer fans.

[bethelgrad]

Fined for not interviewing minorities?
They should be fined for being such consistent sorry losers.

Mike (former diehard Lion fan)

[nickcarraway]

Mariucci is actually from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

[joesnuffy]

the NFL needs to be more diverse
more females and sodomites in the lineup
not to mention more ethnic diversity..

[Catspaw]

Rhoades is an excellent defensive coordinator but a horrible coach. He pulled the same stunt with the Packers a few years ago.

Ain't that the truth! And Rhoades didn't leave the Packers on a good note the first time around. I could never figure out why Ron Wolf hired him as head coach.

[discostu]

I've got a cousin in the Airforce that would get very angry at you calling him a Packer Backer.

[Sideshow Bob]

See my post #15. Mooch is from Iron Mountain. And Yoopers are Packer fans.

Yoopers are indeed Packer fans. Isn't everyone?

[FourPeas]

I didn't know Je$$e Jack$on ran the NFL. Sadly, this ruling was expected. The job was Mariucci's to lose and everyone knew it, which is why the "minority candidates" declined the interviews -- why waste their time? The fine's ridiculous, of course. By making decisions like this, the NFL may be slowly cutting their own throat.

[Steely Glint]

When are they going to start checking to see if the number of white players on an NFL team is proportional to the number of whites in the overall population? I see some NFL teams that are way out of whack as far as national racial proportions go and that are therefore clearly in need of some BIG fines from the Commissioner's Office.

[Some hope remaining.]

I think there are not nearly enough transexual Boy Scout siamese twin coaches in the NFL.

[mafree]

This is some crap and an insult to a minority. Heck, if it'll make 'em feel better they can fly me to Det. for an interview- I need a break so bad that place would seem attractive.

[txzman]

This is the result of Jesse Jackson's Blackmail, pure and simple. Spinless people..

Another reason not to watch the NFL...