[magicmike]

I agree with the sentiments regarding the "Reverend Jackson," although I admit I do enjoy watching or listening to him give a speech because he has such excellent command of the technical tools of public speaking.

But might he not have an arguable point here? Based on resume' Croom seems to be better qualified than Shula. Shula has never been a head coach, and has never coached in college. Croom has never been a head coach either, but he coached fifteen years at Alabama under Bear Bryant and Ray Perkins before moving to the NFL, where he has been for just about as long as Shula. Croom had a distinguished career as a player at Alabama and, from what I read, remains a significant part of school folklore. At the end of Alabama's spring practice every year one of the prizes they give out is the "Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award."

Of course you don't hire a head coach based solely on resume', but without knowing more I can't be so quick to dismiss Jackson's interest in this case as another example of his foolishness.

Among Division 1A schools only 4 out of the 117 head football coaches are black. I am and always will be a firm believer in meritocracy over quota systems in hiring, but that ratio is one I just have a real hard time understanding in the year 2003. I guess what I'm saying is I can't be so sure that race did not play a major factor in this particular hiring decision.