Mark's View: Jesse's Colossus at Rhodes

Green Bay, Wisconsin, January 14, 2000 -- An NFL head coach is not a job title with a great deal of security. Ray Rhodes know this. Former Dallas Cowboys' coach Chan Gailey knows this.

Rhodes coached two NFL teams: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. While at the Eagles, he received mixed reviews, at best. In four seasons from 1995-98, the Eagles went from 10-6 in Rhodes' first two years to 6-9-1 in 1997 and 3-13 in '98. After he was let go from the Eagles, he came to Green Bay, probably one of the most difficult venues to ply his craft. During the 1990s, the Packers were used to winning and their fans, who packed in to venerable Lambeau Field, cheered, screamed and agonized with every freezing breath to support their team.

Rhodes was signed to a four-year contract, but was dismissed -- along with his entire coaching staff -- after one season because the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Firing a head coach after one year may be harsh. But it's part of a tough business.

The Reverend Jessie Jackson has taken exception to Rhodes' firing, arguing that because Rhodes is African-American, he was held to a higher standard. Jackson also noted that two of Rhodes' assistants were black. Because or his termination, the number of black head coaches in the NFL was reduced by one-third, while 65 percent of the players are African-American.

Legally Difficult

The Rev. Jackson raises the question of whether was a double-standard [click here to read letter]. Unless there was some specific acts demonstrating demonstration, the accusation is hard to prove. Head coaches, like any NFL employee, are selected on the basis of ability and performance. The performance of the team was mediocre, so the ownership decided to clean house. Every player, coach and head coach takes a job in professional sports with this in mind.

Because of a tough bottom-line approach, a legitimate business reason exists for termination. And that is a defense to any claim of workplace discrimination. In the case of the Dallas Cowboys, Chan Gailey was shown the exist door despite back-to-back playoff appearances and a .563 winning percentage in his only two years on the job. Not too shabby, but not good enough to keep his job.

What makes this matter troubling is that there are thousands of cases of workplace discrimination against people who do not have multimillion dollar contracts. Rhodes, ended up with a buyout of $1 million for his efforts and is likely to get a job elsewhere. Mr. or Ms. Jones, who were fired or who left because of a hostile work environment will most likely not see anywhere near this golden parachute.

So, Jessie, pick your battles more judiciously.