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On Martin Luther King Day, the New York Giants fittingly named Jerry Reese as their new general manager, making him the first black GM in the history of either New York football team. Reese, who replaces the retiring Ernie Accorsi, now joins Baltimore's Ozzie Newsome -- who was the league’s first black GM in 2002 -- and Houston's Rick Smith as the only other black general managers in the NFL.
I guess you can say that’s a good thing and I’m sure the Giants are proud of themselves right about now. Anytime a minority candidate is hired in the NFL, there’s reason for celebration. But in a league that accommodates 32 teams and is roughly 70 percent black, it’s inexplicable to have just three African-American GMs.
So what exactly does this mean and what is the message the NFL is sending? It’s hard to believe that there only a few worthy black candidates to fill the role of GM. After all, this isn’t rocket science, it’s just football.
Basically, the NFL has no problem hiring blacks to perform on the playing field, but when it comes to positions of power, the league is somewhat hesitant to hire a black candidate.
However, to be fair, there are other blacks who currently hold front office positions in the NFL. In particular, Rod Graves is the Arizona Cardinals’ vice president for football operations, while Jacksonville’s James Harris and St. Louis’ Tony Softli each hold the title of vice president for player personnel.
But it isn’t enough. There is a problem and the league recognizes it. In 2002, the NFL created a policy that required teams to interview at least one minority candidate while searching for a head coach. Back then, there were just two black head coaches. This past season, there were seven black head coaches in the NFL, which was the most ever.
I suppose change doesn’t happen overnight. Even though Reese’s hiring reflects a lack of diversity in the front offices of the NFL, it shows that the league’s minority hiring process is moving in the right direction. Now, if they can only speed things up then I'm sure everyone could feel proud of the league’s direction, especially on the third Monday of every January.
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