Gunzlingr
05-20-2003, 11:32 PM
By Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News
ALLEN PARK -- The NFL will continue discussions on diversity programs, but a resolution of the case involving the Lions' hiring of Coach Steve Mariucci is not expected at the annual spring meeting today and Wednesday.
Very little of a high-profile nature is on the agenda in the sessions in Philadelphia. Most discussions involve business affairs.
There will be a report from the Committee on Workplace Diversity, formed in December. Its purpose is to establish guidelines concerning further hiring opportunities for minorities.
The Lions ran afoul of the committee guidelines, which require teams to interview at least one minority candidate, when Mariucci was hired in February.
President Matt Millen has said the five minority candidates he asked to interview all declined because they thought Mariucci had the job locked up.
The league has continued to look into the situation, but there are indications the emphasis is on creating opportunities in the future -- in the front office and coaching ranks -- and not punishing the Lions.
"Whether the Lions' issue will be discussed, I don't know," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president for public relations. "But the Lions issue remains an open one."
At the owners meetings in March, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said only he had the authority to penalize the Lions. Any penalty would be in the form of a fine as opposed to draft choices, Tagliabue said.
"Our position all along has been, we support and applaud the initiative which promotes diversity, both the coaches and front office," said Bill Keenist, vice president for the Lions. "We certainly did our best to uphold the spirit of the policy throughout the hiring process."
more (http://www.detnews.com/2003/lions/0305/20/c05-169851.htm)
ALLEN PARK -- The NFL will continue discussions on diversity programs, but a resolution of the case involving the Lions' hiring of Coach Steve Mariucci is not expected at the annual spring meeting today and Wednesday.
Very little of a high-profile nature is on the agenda in the sessions in Philadelphia. Most discussions involve business affairs.
There will be a report from the Committee on Workplace Diversity, formed in December. Its purpose is to establish guidelines concerning further hiring opportunities for minorities.
The Lions ran afoul of the committee guidelines, which require teams to interview at least one minority candidate, when Mariucci was hired in February.
President Matt Millen has said the five minority candidates he asked to interview all declined because they thought Mariucci had the job locked up.
The league has continued to look into the situation, but there are indications the emphasis is on creating opportunities in the future -- in the front office and coaching ranks -- and not punishing the Lions.
"Whether the Lions' issue will be discussed, I don't know," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president for public relations. "But the Lions issue remains an open one."
At the owners meetings in March, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said only he had the authority to penalize the Lions. Any penalty would be in the form of a fine as opposed to draft choices, Tagliabue said.
"Our position all along has been, we support and applaud the initiative which promotes diversity, both the coaches and front office," said Bill Keenist, vice president for the Lions. "We certainly did our best to uphold the spirit of the policy throughout the hiring process."
more (http://www.detnews.com/2003/lions/0305/20/c05-169851.htm)