Thread by @bomani_jones

if i may take a brief moment to say something, and preface it by saying i'm not blaming judy for this, as she's using common parlance.

that said: what in the world is a "diverse hire?"

https://twitter.com/judybattista/status/1083378729332682752

by definition, "diversity" cannot exist in an individual instance like hiring one person. it's much broader than that, and it is problematic to effectively use "diverse" as a code word for "non-white male."

now, specific to this instance, it's a big problem if the nfl is telling the bengals they'd like them to hire a black or brown coach. and it would be a public relations nightmare, one they could not explain away. anyone who wanted to scream QUOTAS would have a leg to stand on.

now, let's consider two men who many believe the bengals might going to hire: hue jackson and vance joseph.

if either of them, coming off being fired, get that gig with a whiff in the air that the league is pressuring a team to hire someone black? whoooo, it'll be oogly.

but this is happening because the nfl has no principled interest in diversity. the rooney rule came because johnnie cochran et al put the screws to them. pressuring someone into hiring a black person would demonstrate that, rather than obscuring it, as i'd assume the nfl wants.

anyway, to wrap: "diversity" isn't a hire. it is a condition that can exist if it comes with a fundamental ethos that's centered around meritocracy and a broad sense of fairness.

telling a team to take one for the shield and hire a black dude is neither of those things.

fin.