Representatives of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA) were in New York Monday meeting with members of the NFL's diversity committee about several issues-chief among them the Washington Redskins' interview process.
The FPA is an organization that was formed to monitor and improve the hiring of minorities in the National Football League, and help enforce the Rooney Rule which mandates at least one minority candidate be interviewed for head coaching and top executive positions.
Recently the FPA's vigilance over the Redskins organization has risen with reports that Mike Shanahan is already involved in substantive talks to become their next head coach, and with other conflicting posts about what minority candidates have actually been internally considered.
A report saying Redskins defensive coordinator, Greg Blache, has already interviewed for the job has been refuted.
Subsequently, Fox31 Sports was told by a well-placed source that both Blache, and Redskins secondary coach, Jerry Gray verbally denied interviewing for the opportunity to Jim Zorn- who currently is seated in that position.
However, Gray may have understandable reasons for not being totally forthcoming with Zorn.
Thus, Carson told Anderson Monday evening that FPA reps immediately contacted Gray at the conclusion of their meeting in New York to seek clarification.
"John Wooten (Chairman of the FPA) actually got Jerry (Gray) on the phone before the ( Giants) game tonight, but Jerry said he was on his way to chapel service. Look we understand that these coaches have a certain pre-game routine that we don't want to interrupt. We will try him again."
Carson shed some light on what was specifically discussed in their meeting in regards to the Redskins.
According to Carson, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended this meeting for about an hour. It was Carson's understanding that Goodell was going to try and make the Redskins game in Landover, Maryland thereafter.
"There are certainly concerns. Hopefully the commissioner will speak with (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder . There have been discussions within our own group, in adavance of this meeting today, to do away with fines and impose stronger penalties on teams not in compliance with the Rooney Rule. We've talked about approaching the league to impose the loss of draft picks to catch the attention of these owners," said Carson.
For now, the FPA is still gathering information, and is in a wait-and-see mode.
"We will wait to see what becomes of Goodell's hopeful meeting with Dan (Snyder). Then we will see if we need to take further action from there. From what I understand now, the Redskins did not talk to Blache, but it seems as of now that Gray may have had some talks with the team. To what extent, and whether it was adequate to being a thorough interview is still what remains to be seen."
The FPA is an organization that was formed to monitor and improve the hiring of minorities in the National Football League, and help enforce the Rooney Rule which mandates at least one minority candidate be interviewed for head coaching and top executive positions.
Recently the FPA's vigilance over the Redskins organization has risen with reports that Mike Shanahan is already involved in substantive talks to become their next head coach, and with other conflicting posts about what minority candidates have actually been internally considered.
A report saying Redskins defensive coordinator, Greg Blache, has already interviewed for the job has been refuted.
Subsequently, Fox31 Sports was told by a well-placed source that both Blache, and Redskins secondary coach, Jerry Gray verbally denied interviewing for the opportunity to Jim Zorn- who currently is seated in that position.
However, Gray may have understandable reasons for not being totally forthcoming with Zorn.
Thus, Carson told Anderson Monday evening that FPA reps immediately contacted Gray at the conclusion of their meeting in New York to seek clarification.
"John Wooten (Chairman of the FPA) actually got Jerry (Gray) on the phone before the ( Giants) game tonight, but Jerry said he was on his way to chapel service. Look we understand that these coaches have a certain pre-game routine that we don't want to interrupt. We will try him again."
Carson shed some light on what was specifically discussed in their meeting in regards to the Redskins.
According to Carson, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended this meeting for about an hour. It was Carson's understanding that Goodell was going to try and make the Redskins game in Landover, Maryland thereafter.
"There are certainly concerns. Hopefully the commissioner will speak with (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder . There have been discussions within our own group, in adavance of this meeting today, to do away with fines and impose stronger penalties on teams not in compliance with the Rooney Rule. We've talked about approaching the league to impose the loss of draft picks to catch the attention of these owners," said Carson.
For now, the FPA is still gathering information, and is in a wait-and-see mode.
"We will wait to see what becomes of Goodell's hopeful meeting with Dan (Snyder). Then we will see if we need to take further action from there. From what I understand now, the Redskins did not talk to Blache, but it seems as of now that Gray may have had some talks with the team. To what extent, and whether it was adequate to being a thorough interview is still what remains to be seen."
