Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – National Football League & FIFA
Every week we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.
HIT - NFL
The NFL (National Football League), the USA’s top tier of American Football, is one of the most diverse professional sports leagues in the world.
Yet DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) among its coaches is notoriously sparse.
In a league in which more than two-thirds of the players are black, only five head coaches in the NFL are of a minority background: Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins), Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders), Robert Saleh (New York Jets), Lovie Smith (Houston Texans) and Mike Tomlin (Steelers).
However, for the first time, the league has moved to specifically address this issue with a new ruling under the league’s Rooney Rule.
A new requirement for all 32 NFL teams to have a minority assistant on their offensive staff will be enacted for the 2022 season.
The league has revealed a new diversity advisory committee will review league and club policies to rectify ongoing concerns over a lack of diversity in hiring.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement: "We've worked for years and made progress in many areas to ensure that staff and leaders in our office and at our clubs reflect the racial and gender makeup of America, but we have more work to do, particularly at the head coach and front-office level.
"This esteemed group's work will help us build a more inclusive league. We look forward to their recommendations and to continuing our conversations with other outside experts, community and civil rights leaders, Fritz Pollard Alliance and current and former players and coaches -- to make our efforts and those of the clubs more effective so that real and tangible results will be achieved."
Pamela Carlton, NFL Diversity Advisory Committee founder and President, said: "I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with the NFL, a vitally important organization in the world of sports and in American culture, on such critical matters like DEI and its policies and practices related to hiring and retention. The other committee members and I look forward to completing a rigorous, independent analysis of how the NFL and its clubs approach diversity and inclusion to ensure that minority candidates have equitable opportunities at the highest levels."
Chairman of the league’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II commented: “We recognize we have seen progress on some fronts, but we still have a way to go on other fronts.”
The number of minorities in all coaching positions saw an increase from 35% in the 2020 season to 39% in 2021, with a record increase in defensive coordinators, and an increase in minority GMs and assistant GMs.
The NFL also released a proposition to increase diversity ownership of franchises, with the 32 clubs releasing a joint statement regarding their commitment: "The NFL member clubs support the important goal of increasing diversity among ownership.
“Accordingly, when evaluating a prospective ownership group of a member club pursuant to League policies, the membership will regard it as a positive and meaningful factor if the group includes diverse individuals who would have a significant equity stake in and involvement with the club, including serving as the controlling owner of the club."
Further minority inclusion related policies are expected to be put in place before the 2023 season, marking a positive shift in a sport that has been marred by diversity and equality issues for so long.
MISS – FIFA
FIFA is still attracting a lot of heat, 12 years after awarding the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar – a tiny, oil-rich, super-wealthy middle eastern country who had not once qualified for the tournament before in their entire history.
Accusations of bribery and corruption have been followed by damming reports about the human rights abuses of the thousands of migrant workers that were brought in from poorer neighbouring countries in order to build the stadiums and infrastructure.
Norwegian football President Lise Klaveness, in a speech delivered at the 72nd FIFA congress, remarked: “FIFA must act as a role model. Our game can inspire dreams and break down barriers, but as leaders, we must do it right to the highest standards.
“In 2010, the World Cup was awarded by FIFA in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences. There is no room for employers who do not secure the freedom and safety of World Cup workers. No room for hosts that cannot legally guarantee the safety and respect of LGBTQ+ people coming to this theatre of dreams.”
The organisation has now provoked further criticism at the recent congress in Doha after allowing Russian delegates to attend its annual congress, with the Russian flag being flown at the Congress Hall.
Russian officials were present for the event but there were none from the Ukraine FA, who instead were represented by their country’s ambassador to Qatar.
FIFA’s ruling council confirmed Russia’s suspension from international competition at a meeting last week but banning delegates from attending the congress was not discussed.
FIFA meanwhile, stated that it could not suspend the federation under its rules for actions taken by its political leaders.
It was said that the organisation was only able to ban Russia from international competition because of the impact the war in Ukraine had on World Cup qualifiers.
Chairman of the UK all-party parliamentary group on Russia, Chris Bryant MP, said: “I’m constantly mystified at sporting bodies who do not seem to watch the news, or take enough action, if they do.
“They don’t seem to be able to isolate Russia in light of [Vladimir] Putin’s appalling war crimes. We must isolate any Russian who wants to take part in world affairs until Russia withdraws.”
The Russian Football Union (RFU) has remained steadfast in its opposition to FIFA’s World Cup ban, which it is challenging at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and insisted it had every right to attend the congress in Doha.
Russian national teams and clubs have been suspended by FIFA and UEFA, but the ban does not apply to the RFU, allowing Russia to declare an interest in hosting Euro 2028 or 2032.
The RFU’s Alexey Sorokin was unapologetic, saying: “We are not hiding. We have every right to be here.
“We find it kind of strange that the Russian team was not allowed to play in this [World Cup] qualification.
“It’s strange. We feel that our football players and football lovers have nothing to do with [the invasion of Ukraine].”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino chimed in to defend the decision to allow the RFU’s presence in Doha, while asking Vladimir Putin, who presented him with an Order of Friendship medal in 2019, to end the war in Ukraine.
Infantino – who has reportedly moved to Doha and been living in the Qatari capital since October 2021 – recently acknowledged that Qatar was a work in progress, saying: “Of course, it’s not paradise. Of course it’s not perfect. Of course, there is still work to be done, but we need to stay there.
“We need to continue. We need to work together. We need to encourage change because not everyone wants change, even in Qatar or in the Gulf. But the leadership wants change.”
His words made a mockery of the afflicted parties, yet in his congress speech Infantino continued with this theme, claiming: “If we don’t have occasions to bring people together like a Congress, then we should stop and go home.
“Now that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel (on the Covid-19 pandemic), what happens now? War. War with the fear of a global conflict,” the Swiss said.
“The Russia World Cup in 2018 was by all means a great World Cup, sportingly and culturally. But obviously it did not solve the problems of the world. It did not even solve the problems in the region.
“It did not create a lasting peace. But what I want to say now is that once this terrible conflict is over, and all other conflicts around the world, hopefully football can play a small part in rebuilding relationships, in establishing peace and understanding.
“My plea to all of those who have some power, in important political positions, please stop conflicts and wars. We must engage in dialogue even with your worst enemy.
“We have to learn again to live together. This Congress is a testimony of that.”
As the world’s eyes are on a brutal war unfolding in Ukraine, continuing to focus on the role of sports can seem trivial.
However, sport continues to be one of the main battlefields in the fight for public perception – a key component of strategic warfare.
It is for this reason that the role of FIFA and other governing bodies is so vital.
Infantino may like to spin this latest pacification of Russia as an act of diplomacy that is ‘bringing people together’.
However, the harsh reality is that under his tenure, FIFA continues to skirt around its duties to the global game.
Allowing Russian delegates to attend its annual conference – while their Ukrainian counterparts fight at home – is yet more proof that its appeasement of Russia and other aggressive regimes is far from over.