Dear Mark:

A quick comment on Earl Smith's letter [click here] concerning Ray Rhodes.

In February, 1999 Ron Wolf and the Green Bay Packers were championed as heroes for the cause of minorities in leadership positions in sport. One year later Jesse Jackson thinks the Packers fired Ray Rhodes, Sherm Lewis, and Emmitt Thomas because of their race. How can the Packers treatment of minorities change so quickly? Does anyone believe Ron Wolf will never consider a minority coaching candidate again?

There is much work to be done in the coaching and management ranks of the NFL and other organizations. Much of that work starts and continues at the grassroots levels (high school, college, entry level NFL positions). Unfortunately progress or (as happens too often) the lack of progress in these areas does not receive the media attention that Jesse Jackson craves. Certainly the NFL could and should have more minority  coaches, administrators, and owners. But for Jackson to imply that the Packers derailed the coaching futures of Rhodes and his staff strictly because of their race does a disservice to those coaches and every future minority coaching candidate. The Rhodes firing shouldn't have raised any more questions than the firings in New Orleans, Dallas, or New England. As Rhodes noted, "it was business."

What is interesting to note is that Rhodes, Thomas, and Lewis will have well paid jobs in the NFL next season if they want them [Editor's note: Rhodes became defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles]. Jackson's denouncing of the NFL (and other league's) system which continually recycles coaches will work in favor of the fired Green Bay staff. I would not be surprised to see Rhodes walking the sideline as a head coach at some point in the near future-he is a good coach despite the fact that his record during his last two seasons might indicate otherwise. The key for the future of minority coaches is to continue to work to increase the number of them throughout the coaching ranks so that they can enjoy the benefits of being recycled, just like Rhodes did in 1999 and 2000.

Mark S. Nagel