Extensions of Remarks
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336 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS January 22, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS BLACK AMERICANS AND THE be in leather helmets and running the single told that being in the right place at the NFL wing. right time is important. I guess this is a case There is one general manager vacancy in of being born in the right place at the right the league and four head-coaching jobs time. HON. LOUIS STOKES open after the season. I would bet that not Cynics suggest that Don Shula's grandson, OF OHIO one black was even interviewed for any of David's boy, Danny, might be an NFL head them. coach before Raye and others from the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A generation ago, when somebody would black talent pool. Danny turned 2 in Octo Wednesday, January 22, 1986 inquire of NFL poohbahs why the ranks of ber. head coach and general manager were lily Maybe many blacks are too smart to get Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, as football fans white, the answer was; name one qualified into coaching. It's a business with more across the Nation prepare for the Super Bowl black. heartaches than glory. Even good head this Sunday, this is an ideal time to take a That no longer works. coaches are three knee injuries and two close look at the level of involvement of black Want a black man qualified to be a gener lousy drafts away from unemployment. Americans in professional football. al manager in the NFL? I can name one: But Payton, Tippet, Lawrence or any On Sunday, there will be a number of black Bobby Mitchell. Also, I can rattle off at other player-black and white-has devoted least a half-dozen others who should have so much time to football that the logical Americans playing in the Super Bowl matchup been groomed for managerial positions but career move is into coaching or manage between the Chicago Bears and the New Eng were not. ment. land Patriots. Likewise during the regular pro Mitchell was. How appealing can that be when advance fessional football season, black America is He's been very good for a very long time, ment seems no higher than being able to well represented on the football field each and still shut out. I cannot fathom how tell the fullback whether to run left, right Sunday. This is virtually the total and shameful owners allegedly obsessed with winning or straight ahead. Or to make sure the extent of black Americans in professional foot could look past a Hall of Fame player who frisky middle linebacker has gone beddy-bye ball in this country today. knows scouting and finances and who has at a decent hour before game day. organized training camps and Super Bowl Pro football is life with a two-minute The meager number of black Americans in functions. They have. warning. Unfair a great deal of the time. coaching and management positions is noth If Bobby Mitchell hasn't earned the Hundreds of talented white assistants and ing short of disgraceful. While there are 32 chance to run a pro football team, Lee Ia mid-level managers also have gotten by black assistant coaches in the National Foot cocca isn't qualified to manage a Chrysler passed. ball League, the harsh reality is that there is dealership on the Rockville Pike. There are hundreds of thousands of not even one black head football coach. Even Vince Lombardi persuaded Mitchell to youngsters who aspire to football fame and more appalling is the fact that with the wealth join Redskins management after his retire fortune; there are 28 NFL head coaches and of talent of black Americans in all aspects of ment in 1968; George Allen educated him in 28 NFL general managers. And one asinine the ways of the league. attitude toward blacks: not yet. the game, not one black American-not even "I learned more football," Mitchell said in men with the talent or expertise of Bobby the spring of 1983, "more about the league Mitchell-have received serious consideration and how to get things done under George LYNN WOOD RETIRING AS for top management positions with any NFL Allen in those seven years [from 1971 SHERIFF OF STANISLAUS team. through '771 than anybody [else] could COUNTY, CA The Sunday Washington Post included an have taught me. article by Ken Delinger which detailed this "Like to have ran me crazy. I didn't have a dreadful situation. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I gray hair when I met him. Three years HON. TONY COELHO later, it's gray all over. Dammit, though, he would like to include it in the RECORD. taught me. Have to give him credit for that OF CALIFORNIA BLACKS ARE READY To TACKLE MANAGEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JOBS, BUT THE NFL STILL BLOCKS THE WAY "The only reason I stayed all these years Another season of shame has passed in was the hope that somebody eventually Wednesday, January 22, 1986 the National Football League, one more would say: 'Hey, Bobby Mitchell's good Mr. COELHO. Mr. Speaker, this spring Lynn year in which black men were judged quali enough to do that.' I think about all the Wood will retire from his post as Sheriff of fied to star for their teams but not to guys I used to have to show how to find a Stanislaus County after 32 years of loyal manage them. For the 20th time in the school who now are personnel directors or public service. Super Bowl's 20-year existence, blacks will general managers. ~ be among the leaders on the field but not in "Certainly, in the back of my mind it's Lynn was born in Alvarado, TX. He has the front office. there. But it's not eatin' at me like it once spent the majority of his life performing duties Our most popular sporting business is the was. This is a business where somebody has for the betterment of our community. Over the least progressive. Probably, this massive to take a chance. And most owners don't years, Lynn has served on all three levels of appeal is a major reason for the NFL's man have that kind of guts.'' law enforcement and security. He served as a agement decisions. As the Post's Gary Pomerantz reported re member of the U.S. Marines during the Win or lose, most owners turn a tidy cently, there has been a dramatic increase Korean war before undertaking his initial posi profit each year-and the value of their in the number of black assistant coaches in tion with the Stanislaus County sheriff's de franchises escalates. Most stadiums either the NFL; there are 32 in all. Three <Tony are sold out each week, or close to capacity. Dungy of the Steelers, Billie Matthews with partment in 1954. Sheriff Wood began his ex So why even hop on the boat, let alone the Colts and Jimmy Raye of the Bucca tensive career in civil service as jailer before rock it? neers> are in charge of an offense or de many promotions such as those to lieutenant Walter Payton can do everything in foot fense. in 1962 and chief deputy in 1968. He was ball just now except dream. Same with the Since 1981, the NFL also has sponsored a elected sheriff by the citizens of Stanislaus exceptional defender who will lead his Pa program during training camp that about County in 197 4. He is also past chairman of triots against Payton's Bears Sunday in New 1,000 coaches from the nation's 48 predomi the Emergency Planning Committee of the Orleans, Andre Tippett. Same with Henry nantly black colleges have attended. That Lawrence of the Raiders and so many more. surely has speeded upward mobility. California Peace Officers Association. History shows that the NFL will make Still, reacting to the 26-year-old son of In addition, his educational focus has been wonderful use of their bodies, but not their Miami's Don Shula being prominently men on public service at the local, State, and na minds. If tactics were as slow to evolve in tioned for the Eagles' head coaching job, tional level. After receiving his bachelor of arts the NFL as social progress, teams still would Raye told Pomerantz: "We're always being degree from the University of San Francisco, e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter sec in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by the Member on the floor. January 22, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 337 he obtained his peace officer standards and thusiastically. If Congress fails to followup on With headquarters in Italy and at the training certificate at the executive develop the experience the States are now providing University of California, Santa Barbara, ment level. Furthermore, he was also graduat us, we will have missed a golden opportunity GERO will take an entirely new, construc ed from the FBI National Academy in 1968. to help get jobs and to help our cities. tive approach toward global environmental issues. As Lee M. Talbot of the World Re Lynn's dedication to progress and communi sources Institute stated in the conference's ty improvement merits much admiration and GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL concluding remarks, "sustainable use of re respect. He has worked very hard to make his RESEARCHORGANIZATIONCGEROl sources can be achieved, and improvements community, and thus our society, a better in environmental quality can be obtained, if place to live.