By Katie Kieffer
Image credit: businessweek.com
Here’s a dirty little secret: Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman, Dan Rooney, has used his position, fans and the NFL franchise for personal and political gain. While he is credited with bringing coaching opportunities to minorities, a dig beneath the surface reveals otherwise.
Humility is a virtue, and Rooney appears lacking. In 2003, he instigated the creation of a rule that would require the NFL to identify and interview a minority candidate for all head and senior-level coaching positions. The rule was named the Rooney Rule as a permanent tribute to Rooney’s “benignity” and an honor to the Rooney family legacy.
In 2003 there was – and continues to be – a measurably lower number of minorities in high NFL coaching positions. These are indisputable facts. The questions – which have yet to be answered by the NFL are:
- Is there a problem? (There is only a problem if highly or equally qualified minority coaches are being overlooked for senior-level positions.)
- If there is a problem, is the Rooney Rule the best solution?
Dan Rooney has personally made off like a bandit since he berthed his vanity rule. His goodie bag includes:
- “Friendship” and multiple photo ops with President Obama
- Nomination to be the Ambassador to Ireland by President Obama
- A “top secret” tax situation where Rooney cracks the whip on taxpayers but is less than forthright about what – if anything – the Steelers pay in city and county taxes.
- Taxpayer-sponsored advertising for his political views. Wouldn’t we all love to have a national forum to win votes for our presidential candidates of choice?
President Obama, at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2008, holds up the Steelers Jersey Dan Rooney gave him. Image credit: REUTERS/Jason Reed.
Currently, there is talk to extend the Rooney Rule into the realm of college football. President Obama and Pelosi’s House want to control the college football championships, as I warned here. Rooney is a big-name, high-dollar supporter and President Obama has rewarded his groveling with an Ambassadorship. So, don’t be surprised if Rooney helps the President control college football by expanding affirmative action rules.
The Rooney Rule makes race the issue without proving that race is the obstacle to the low number of minority coaches in the NFL. There are a myriad of possible reasons for this discrepancy. For instance, more men than women choose math-intensive careers. This generally equates to their different career and lifestyle interests, not intellectual differences between the sexes.
President Obama and Dan Rooney pose for cameras. Image: REUTERS.
There is a distinctly lower number of women playing alongside men in the NFL. So, should I create the “Kieffer Rule” to remedy this situation and become an instant celebrity among feminists everywhere?
No. This wouldn’t be a win for male-female equality—it would be a win for my ego, my name, my ambitions and a loss for women who would now hear from the sports industry what they are already hear from the modeling industry: “You must push your body to an unhealthy and unnatural standard to be at the top.” Moreover, by creating this rule, I would be declaring males and females unequal because their bodies are different. But, “different” is not commensurate to “unequal.”
Proper enforcement of the Rooney Rule is overseen by a man of a different era: John Wooten. He played in the NFL from 1959-1968 when there were NO minority coaches. Today is a different era. Young Americans – with the exception of a few mental cases – do not see race as an issue. Young Americans today accept, live and breathe diversity.
66 percent of my peers voted for the first African-American U.S. President. Race is a non-issue when young people make important decisions. Equality is alive. The only people who seem to get caught up on race are liberal, grey-haired politicians like Sen. Harry Reid and Vice President Joe Biden.
The Rooney Rule sounds good but has easy loopholes for teams like the Detroit Lions, makes political pawns out of minority coach applicants like Vikings defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier, is illogical for situations like replacing Chicago Bears Coach, Lovie Smith, and is a disgustingly obvious way to flatter Dan Rooney’s ego and his liberal political endeavors.
The NFL should stop “rushing” owners to make impaired decisions with the Rooney Rule. Let’s empower owners to pick the best person for the job and forget about race. Race doesn’t matter. The NFL should acknowledge this and stop pressuring NFL owners to interview certain applicants for an appearance of equality: It is a disgrace to true equality in America.
