The New York Giants interviewed both Kris Richard and Eric Bieniemy during their head coaching search, but ultimately settled on Joe Judge as their next leading man following a ringing endorsement from Bill Belichick.
Apparently, that upset some people.
Following news of Judge’s pending hire, Stephen A. Smith hit the airwaves an unloaded on the Giants, implying that they are a racist organization who made a mockery of the Rooney Rule despite adhering to it and then some.
“There is a Rooney Rule in place and still this kind of stuff is happening,” Smith said of the Joe Judge hire. “We got a problem! This is some BS! There isn’t any way around this. We’re moving in a reverse direction. We’re moving in a reverse direction. Black men are not being treated fairly in the National Football League. Someone has to say it.
“This Rooney Rule is bogus, clearly. It’s being bypassed. It’s original intent is being circumvented and black men in the National Football League are being ostracized from key positions. Somebody needs to say it. Something has got to be done.”
In an early segment, Smith acknowledged he knows nothing about Judge or how he fit with the Giants compared to Richard or Bieniemy, but again implied it was a racial issue.
“This don’t happen for black folk. A wide receivers coach that becomes the head coach,” Smith said.
Others on Twitter felt similarly.
There is no mention of fit, how the interviews went, whether there were disagreements between Giants management and the interviewees or whether or nor Richard/Bieniemy turned the Giants down, just a rant on perceived racism.
Incidentally, Smith completely ignored the Dallas Cowboys, who interviewed Marvin Lewis with no intention to hire him, only to immediately turn around and hire Mike McCarthy.
There are obvious problems with the Rooney Rule, but why the Giants continue to be the focal point of these arguments is anyone’s guess. They interviewed more minority candidates than any team with a head coaching vacancy so far this year, which not only satisfied the rule, but extended well beyond it.
