Greeny News

coach of the Chicago Bears face the Buccaneers at Wembley, but Rooney Rule might not have a job

Lovie Smith has the distinction of being the first coach African American chef side of losing a Super Bowl. But he is grateful that the Rooney rule, at least allowed him the opportunity.

Smith lost the 2006 final of 26 to 17 for the Indianapolis Colts NFL, who was also an African-American Dungy, Tom. Smith, 53, brings to the Bears at Wembley on Sunday to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a regular season game. He has no doubt that the rule introduced by the league in 2003, which requires applicants favorite teams from ethnic minorities for the functions of high-level trainers should be applied in football as it is currently discussion.

Smith, whose first name is for your aunt, Lavana, was a defensive coach in college and professional football for 24 years until he was hired as a bear. He says: ... "If you need the Rooney rule must be in the game I was one of the first who was hired on the basis that everyone wants a chance to show what he can do, you can do the job if you can not do it just because of his own, so you have rules in place. I used this vehicle to do the job. "

Asked how he reacts to those who may see it as purely symbolic, says Smith. "No response for me, a head coach African American football here, when the leg and when we do wrong, the fans yell at me on the basis of me being a head coach in place of my color . "

Association Professional footballers want the rule introduced here, where Chris Hughton, Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic Chris Powell are the only ethnic minority managers by up to 92 clubs.

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The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairperson of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, who has promoted the rule of diversity that was named after him, met the Football Association last week. "The rule was good for our game [and] which is a bargain. And that is exactly our message to those responsible for the FA," Goodell said.

"I grew up that way. Wednesday at the church school on Sunday. My mother had a direct line to God. It seemed that she had spoken with him directly. Here is a brief history. In 1983, I have my job as coach of the first college linebacker at the University of Tulsa My mother called me immediately and said. "Hey Lovie, I had a dream last night, there will be a head coach of the Dallas Cowboys are. Will be a coach in the NFL."

"that had just landed my first college job, earning $ 18 000 per year. I started to move through the ranks and we are in our house of 18, lived in 10 states. Each stop on the way, said: "? Lovie, I remember my dream "I come to St. Louis [in 2001 as defensive coordinator] and my mother called me and told me:" You believe me now "