What if LSU had hired Terry Robiskie as its head coach after Pat Sullivan backed out of the job, rather than Dinardo? He interviewed for the job and as an LSU alum, he was an obvious choice for a school in panic mode when its top choice turned them down. It would have broken the color barrier a decade before Croom... and Robiskie might have had an easier go of things at LSU than Croom did at Mississippi St. Even without the benefit of hindsight, Robiskie over Dinardo seems like a more logical hire for LSU in 1994. Not sure why it didn't happen.
If he builds a winner, maybe it opens the door more quickly for everyone else. Success breeds success. I'm sure almost every SEC school has a near-hire like this, and the road not taken. Which is the problem.
Exactly! Black head coaches, when they do get a shot, tend to get it at the worst jobs. And if they fail, its held not only against them, but all future minority coaches. Which is absurd.
It's great that Freeman got a real chance at Notre Dame, even if it was just to spite Brian Kelly at first.
100% with Jasper's sentiment about *not* wanting to get hired because he's black outweighing getting hired just because he is, but either way we've unfortunately backslid into losing sight of Dr. MLK Jr.'s "Judging someone from their content of character instead of the color of their skin." Also, and God knows I'm no mathematician or statistician, if you want to play the numbers game, the percentage of black coaches at the collegiate level, 12%, is only slightly lower than the percentage of the black population in the US, 13%. Granted, I'm a student and practitioner of Dr. Martin Luther (the) King, Jr.'s content of character > color of skin, but seems pretty equitable to me.
Oh, interesting, too, Michael, in that you'll cite our alma mater's admirable stance against 1940s racism in a positive light (as it should be), but I recall you have previously added a "Wellllllll, but..." asterisk because the team allegedly wasn't as admirable as we'd been led to believe. No problem with context, but mixing a couple of my fave entertainers, make up your mind, dude (alright, Spicoli), selective amnesia is only a heartbeat away (street poet extraordinaire Diamond David Lee Roth).
As usual, though, love the column and the dialogue it's spurred.
The "12% is equitable" line is nonsense if for no other reason than that *48%* of CFB DI players are Black. 4:1. That's how far off from being equitable it is.
What if LSU had hired Terry Robiskie as its head coach after Pat Sullivan backed out of the job, rather than Dinardo? He interviewed for the job and as an LSU alum, he was an obvious choice for a school in panic mode when its top choice turned them down. It would have broken the color barrier a decade before Croom... and Robiskie might have had an easier go of things at LSU than Croom did at Mississippi St. Even without the benefit of hindsight, Robiskie over Dinardo seems like a more logical hire for LSU in 1994. Not sure why it didn't happen.
If he builds a winner, maybe it opens the door more quickly for everyone else. Success breeds success. I'm sure almost every SEC school has a near-hire like this, and the road not taken. Which is the problem.
And then a decade later, Mike Shula gets hired over Croom at Alabama.
Exactly! Black head coaches, when they do get a shot, tend to get it at the worst jobs. And if they fail, its held not only against them, but all future minority coaches. Which is absurd.
It's great that Freeman got a real chance at Notre Dame, even if it was just to spite Brian Kelly at first.
What great insight into an ever unspoken true truth this country should be more mindful and truly ashamed of! Yeesh!
100% with Jasper's sentiment about *not* wanting to get hired because he's black outweighing getting hired just because he is, but either way we've unfortunately backslid into losing sight of Dr. MLK Jr.'s "Judging someone from their content of character instead of the color of their skin." Also, and God knows I'm no mathematician or statistician, if you want to play the numbers game, the percentage of black coaches at the collegiate level, 12%, is only slightly lower than the percentage of the black population in the US, 13%. Granted, I'm a student and practitioner of Dr. Martin Luther (the) King, Jr.'s content of character > color of skin, but seems pretty equitable to me.
Oh, interesting, too, Michael, in that you'll cite our alma mater's admirable stance against 1940s racism in a positive light (as it should be), but I recall you have previously added a "Wellllllll, but..." asterisk because the team allegedly wasn't as admirable as we'd been led to believe. No problem with context, but mixing a couple of my fave entertainers, make up your mind, dude (alright, Spicoli), selective amnesia is only a heartbeat away (street poet extraordinaire Diamond David Lee Roth).
As usual, though, love the column and the dialogue it's spurred.
The "12% is equitable" line is nonsense if for no other reason than that *48%* of CFB DI players are Black. 4:1. That's how far off from being equitable it is.
Toldja I'm not a mathematician/statistician. 😉
Either way, the content > color stands, no matter who wants to play a victim card and/of identity politics.
There it is. Usually only takes a comment or two.
Yup, just took my post to trigger your victim/identity politics defense. Glad to prove your point.
That's enough, Eric. Take it elsewhere.
I’ll let my PoC friends down at the club know that they actually have it *great* cause ole Eric Porvaznikkk said so.