#NFL GMS PRO#

League officials have firmly denied such stereotyping, but the problem appears to linger in the coaching ranks, where only two Blacks out of 32 NFL teams have been given the вЂњsophisticatedвЂќ role of offensive coordinator. A few decades ago, critics say, that came in some insidious ways, literally position by position, with centers and quarterbacks, play-calling positions requiring smarts, reserved forВ whites, while Black players were typically chosen for more athletic positions like linebacker or running back. ThatвЂ™s despite the fact that more than half of those college athletes were Black.Д«utВ even with the NFLвЂ™s advances, you canвЂ™t help but sniff out the less-than-colorblind approaches that have long plagued the league, which has always denied such accusations. Especially since college hasnвЂ™t caught up yet - there were only 16 head coaches of color out of 128 NCAA Division I schools in 2013.

#NFL GMS PRO#

Minority hiring practicesВ in pro sports are a microcosm of the modern civil rights movement: While things have gotten better, itвЂ™s clear that race relations are far from perfect.Д¬ertainly the league deserves credit for its diversity kick, which was spurred by the Rooney Rule (the 2003 bylaw that requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate when hiring head coaches or senior football operatives). That grade trailed only the NBA (A+) for the best racial hiring practices in U.S. вЂњAt the league office, the example is being set,вЂќ said Richard Lapchick, whose Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave the NFL its fifth consecutive вЂњAвЂќ for racial hiring practices last year. While the NFL has improved at the top, itвЂ™s seen more minority hiring at the lower rungs as well: There are six minority head coaches this year (the record is eight), and the number of ethnically diverse employees at or above the VP level was at 14 percent in 2013, according to the most recent available data. Whaley was the seventh in league history when he was hired since then ClevelandвЂ™s Ray Farmer has become the eighth, although ArizonaвЂ™s Rod Graves got canned in 2012. There are seven active African-American GMs, tied for the most ever in a single season. And the fact that itвЂ™s taken this long to mention heвЂ™s Black speaks to a far more meaningful type of success - this one off the field. Those high expectations bore fruitВ when Buffalo upset the favored Indianapolis Colts 24-14 to start the NFL season on Sept. вЂњIt was a step in the right direction, but weвЂ™re not satisfied yet,вЂќ Whaley tells OZY. But WhaleyвЂ™s added talent, hired a top-level coach and last year helped Buffalo earn its first 9-7 record in a decade. They hadnвЂ™t had a winning season in eight years or made the playoffs since 1999, easily the leagueвЂ™s longest playoff drought. When he took over in 2013,В the Buffalo Bills were a laughingstock. ThatвЂ™s 42-year-old Doug Whaley, the teamвЂ™sВ general manager, a position that,В frankly, is off the radar for most fans. She loves her team, but herВ highest praise isnвЂ™t for a specific player, or even a coach: вЂњDougвЂ™s a boss,вЂќ she says. Trace down her right arm and youвЂ™ll see another red-and-blue buffalo engraved on her pale skin. Her right shoulder has a tat of the NFL teamвЂ™s trademark buffalo, with the nearby city of RochesterвЂ™s five-petaled lilac within it.В Not that her fandom ends there. Celeste Albone is a die-hard Bills fan - from birth, the 34-year-old adds, as if you needed convincing.

Nfl gms