The question that NFL Network's Jim Trotter asked Commissioner Roger Goodell during a news conference is making the rounds on social media, and justifiably so. After first summarizing the league's dismal history when it comes to hiring Black head coaches, Trotter unexpectedly flipped the script, turning the topic toward the NFL offices and media arm.
According to Trotter, "of the top 11 executives there, there are only two people of color." The more upsetting revelation was Trotter's statement that "there is not one black person on the senior level in the newsroom who makes decisions about a league whose player population is 70% Black."
It would appear the Rooney Rule, which requires minority candidates to be considered when coaching jobs are being filled, needs to be expanded beyond the field. While a lack of diversity at the executive level is troubling, it is not all that unusual for a multibillion-dollar organization. But a newsroom? That's just inexcusable.
