Thank you today's topic. -- very controversial Rooney rule in the NFL how does that affect African American coaches. And general managers and coordinators as well. Here at the very esteemed panel Peter -- the athletic director at Northeastern University. Bob -- longtime columnist for the Boston Globe and Cedric Maxwell former Celtic. Hey guys this has been something that is has caused a lot of debates the Rooney rule and the idea is before. An NFL team hires a new head coach doesn't affect coordinators right now it may after this offseason but Patrick team. Before team hires a head coach has to interview at least. One minority candidate. And this year there were lots of vacancies in the front office. And on the field fifteen to be exact. And zero. African American hires Bob Ryan. Doesn't really roll work. First of a lot of -- will always there was always people who knew that they were token in an interview recent start with it was always -- aspect to it. The way some teams when after the start -- obviously. The idea the rules and who is very very. They aren't logical and and and necessary and if I was to say this I can't speak for the NFL and why is. Dangerous the way they are contrasted to the NBA is such an astonishing contrast to the NBA where four. Forty years going back 45 years going back have been Bill Russell tired there have been so many black coaches and black coaches fired and replaced by black coaches. Ops fewer guys not just thought guys people don't remember that where there were coaches and it just it's so it's such a normal occurrence in the and in the front office and the NFL as it is so far behind them record somewhere out -- guys -- -- next Mike Tomlin is on somebody's camp and -- I can't believe they can find. I edit it spotted -- that Bob Richards Mike Tomlin yeah. Mike Tomlin working for the religious right and the release -- brought -- then I don't think they expected to -- don't know Mike Tomlin blew them away energy. You and that's the benefit of our rule is you get exposure to people that you wouldn't ordinarily exposure self too if you didn't have to. We would like to think that you wouldn't have to because it's a meritocracy. People earn their reputation. They get the opportunity due to interview for the job for the job but. It hadn't been that way so they implement the rule to force organizations to have to seek out. Minority candidates and the hope is that once someone gets exposed even if they don't hire them they may pick up the phone and say. We didn't Hiram here's a reason why but the guys superstar do you really should talk to this -- Herm Edwards same thing never was a coordinator. When he was in Tampa Bay with Tony Dungy Brett and the Jets brought him up. He blew them away and they changed their -- Direction and they hired him and he proved to be a pretty good hire. I know that I think the Rooney rule does work. Because. I imagine if you didn't have the bedroom a big part about it -- the road and -- this -- haven't I don't think Mike Tomlin. Isn't that that's maybe Tony Dungy got that position either Max what do you think of -- to me what what what's the story here hit for somebody to hire. A coach whether he's like a black enforcement to have the -- What why that -- paying for fifteen years. Any rule -- gives minorities an opportunity. To be seen to me is a good rule because as this panelists say it. If you get a chance to in the view. There's no telling what might happen if you don't and you outside that door and you never in the view didn't. It goes through not so I'm I'm on the side of even at this spoken from time to time. You might find something out that you did not know so to me. I like the rule. I would like for me go a little bit further but at the same time the rule at least opens or that more than that's cracked the door for some candidate beginning. Hit and I think also. Maybe it's a perception thing. Whether you think -- head coach football coach or an offensive coordinator defensive coordinator what do you think they deserve to be called geniuses are not. The fact is we talk about genius and brilliance in coaching. Very often we're talking about. White coaches and like coordinators me you you tell me the last black coordinator or black coach who was described as a genius. And I and -- -- it Robertson. That don't hit it OK okay I -- -- thought yeah that's what it is a B I think there are lots of out of the box Tigers have happened Jon Gruden and -- I'm not criticizing John gruden was out of box higher. A young guy taking over in Oakland that's a good hire a job Harbaugh was an out of the box higher but I think you have to have more out of the box tires. With black coaches well. If you have a league that is dominated. By minorities. Or -- dominated by people of color I think there has to be more than one or more than two hit coaches in that position. I don't care how people related. There's still something about the way hit coach -- the deal applied differently the black player that he would with a white list. Okay we've solved the Rooney rule problem and we haven't even it's -- we have talked about general managers that that's for the next.