There is a group called the black coaches and administrators which  defends the rights and interests of black coaches.  This group is making noise that unless D-1 and D-1A teams hire more black head coaches,  they will go to court and force it to happen.  Excuse me?

I understand and am empathetic with the notion that there should be equal opportunity.  But I also believe that it has to be evolution, not revolution to get it done.  College Presidents are, on the whole, fairly liberal people who are open to the idea of hiring a minority head coach.  The problem is, if you are a big school and want to win right now, do you want to bring in an offensive coordinator with no head coaching experience or a hired gun who makes your program competitive from the day he steps on to campus?

Here's a couple of examples: Alabama had a vacancy for head coach earlier this year.  They hired Nick Saban, a veteran, seasoned head coach with an impressive college football coaching record and a national championship under his belt. Alabama is a program that expects to compete for a national championship every year and plays in arguably the most competitive conference in the country.  Should Saban have not been hired to satisfy somebody's quota?  Should Alabama have hired a black coach with less head coaching experience and less of a track record just to satisfy the demands of a pressure group or did they hire someone who was the most qualified, regardless of color. How about Arizona State's hire of Dennis Erickson?  Again, a seasoned, veteran coach who has won everywhere he's ever been.  Does he get denied opportunity because he is a middle aged white guy?

Something that all of these groups fail to acknowledge is the premium on winning placed on these college football programs.  A winning team the major college is worth millions, including bowl revenue, local radio revenue, ad revenue and so on.  These are the windfalls that keep athletic departments in business in this day and age of budget cuts.  You can't blame programs for hiring veteran coaches over unproven ones, be they black, white or purple.

The NFL has shown us how capable black head coaches can be.  Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy locked up in the Super Bowl last year.  Mike Timlin has done an outstanding job with the Steelers this season.  Herm Edwards has gone to the playoffs with the Jets and Chiefs.  All of these guys were coordinators at one time and all of them had to wait their turn and pay their dues until something opened up.

Here's something else to think about.  Most coaches become a head coach after serving as a defensive or offensive coordinator.  In Chicago and Pittsburgh, the coordinators are both white; In Indianapolis, Tony Dungy's offensive coordinator is white.  Why?  Because these guys want to win and to win they have to hire the best coaches available, regardless of race.

The bottom line here is winning and finding the right individual to lead your program.  With only about 300 or so jobs at this level, the jobs should be based totally on merit, achievement and record and not on either skin color or a court order.  Then maybe some day, we'll be once again talking about head coaches and not about black head coaches.

Lighting Round

• In an interesting move, the White Sox hire Buddy Bell to instruct their minor leaguers after he was so successful with the Royals.  It also positions him to take over for Ozzie if Ozzie should lose his mind again.
• All kinds of rumors swirling around New York.  Scott Boras puts a down payment on an island and a yacht in anticipation of his commission once he can peddle A-Rod who will most likely opt out of his deal; Mariano Rivera may find life after the Yankees and The Genius is one of the names being bandied about to replace Joe Torre.  The Genius is waiting to see who the new GM of the Cardinals will be before he commits and the Cardinals are beginning to lose patience.  Write down the day and time you read this: I agree with The Genius.  Oh, BTW, forget Philly as a landing spot for The Genius. 
  
• Dr. Z. is right: The Packers and Bills were victims of their own coaches in losing to the Bears and Cowboys respectively.  Packers Coach Mike McCarthy looked like a deer in the headlights the entire second half, which may have raised the ire of the Elderly Hillbilly.
• Memo to Nick Barnett: In a small community like Green Bay, the more crap you stir up, the tougher it is for you.  First your silly nightclub, now this. 
  
• Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow has a new cell phone number.  Now what will all those LSU fans who had him on speed dial do?
• Michael Vick, you haven't begun to suffer yet.
• MLB umpires are furious with MLB for conducting background checks in an effort to prevent any hint of impropriety (like in the NBA.)  All they have come up with so far is that Phil Cuzzi constantly throws kids off his lawn and that Bruce Froemming walks with the aid of a cane and a dog.
• You know, for a group of people who scream everytime they believe they are denied an opportunity, c an't people let it go with Imus?  I mean, seriously.  And, before you start whining about what a terrible thing he did, remember, Rev. Al and Rev. Jesse have a few skeletons in their closet as well.
  
• Mlller Lite and Coors Light are joining forces under the same roof to create a really bad light beer.
• During the Watergate hearings in which Fred Thompson was a prosecutor, Richard Nixon called Fred Thompson dumb. This from a man who got caught red handed and had to resign the presidency.  This from a man who probably the most paranoid leader we ever had.  And Brian Ross, why don't you take your sleezeball, self aggrandizing, over sensationalizing self and slither back into your hole?
• Today's list: Countries that listen to the radio the most.