The goal of every NFL franchise is to be the absolute best. Average is rarely, if ever, acceptable. The on-field employees, coaching staff and especially the players, go through a process of discrimination unique to almost any other industry. Players are literally stripped down before they are drafted so their bodies are evaluated. They are given mental tests, psychological tests, etc. Players are cut if they gain too much weight, when they get too old or if they are not a "fit" in the organization. None of this would be tolerated in most businesses but it's a necessity to be competitive in a highly competitive league.
After evaluating players (using every form discrimination listed above), a GM picks the player he believes to be the best available. There is no requirement to evaluate or consider another player on the basis of their race alone. You just pick the person you believe will make your team better than any other player. It's unrealistic to believe a team would do anything different with respect to hiring a coach.
This is especially true in this situation b/c Gruden is a unique hire. He's a proven coach and everyone is obsessed with hiring him. He's getting the job if he has interest, and it's a total waste of time interviewing anyone else.
The Rooney rule just doesn't make sense when you think about it. Let's assume Belichick wanted to coach the Bears. Why in the hell would the Bears interview anybody else? What could a another candidate possibly say during that interview that would make anyone in the room want to hire him rather than Belichick? You could apply the same logic to black coaches who are uniquely gifted, like a Tomlin or Dungy. If Tomlin wants to coach your team, you're not sifting through the resumes of "up and coming" coordinators. You just hire the man and win. Gruden is similarly unique and the application of the Rooney rule in this instance clearly absurd.
