New plan would welcome women
SAN FRANCISCO — In an effort to enhance diversity in its ranks, the NFL plans to put in place a rule that would require teams to interview women for executive positions.
“We believe we’re better as an organization when we have good people at the table. We have great people at the table,” NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell said Thursday at the league’s inaugural Women’s Summit, part of the Super Bowl 50 festivities.
Goodell cited the league’s progress in hiring the first fulltime female official and f irst female assistant coaches — an intern in Arizona and a fulltime assistant coach in Buffalo. The league will institute a variation for women of the “Rooney Rule,” which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for coaching and executive positions.
“You can see that progress is being made,” Goodell said. “And our commitment is we have something called the Rooney Rule, which requires us to make sure when we have an opening, that on the team or the league level, that we are going to interview a diverse slate of candidates. Well, we’re going to make that commitment and we’re going to formalize that we, as a league, are going to do that with women as well in all of our executive positions. Again, we’re going to keep making progress here and make a difference.”
South of the border
The Oakland Raiders will play a regular- season game in Mexico City this year, the Associated Press reported.
The Raiders, who are having stadium issues in Oakland and applied to relocate to Los Angeles, will host the Houston Texans in Mexico, marking the NFL’s return to the country for the f irst time in 11 years. The schedule has not been set for the 2016 season. Both franchises are looking to make inroads in Mexico, as is the league as a whole, and Goodell is expected to announce the game at his Friday news conference, the AP reported.
ESPN. com f irst reported that the Texans- Raiders game would be played in Mexico City.
Super band
As the British rock band Coldplay walked onto a stage for a news conference at the Super Bowl media center, frontman Chris Martin joked, “Thank you everybody. I feel like Donald Trump.”
The band will perform at halftime with guest appearances by Beyoncé and others, including Youth Orchestra LA. “We’ve watched all of the other halftime shows many times, and most of them are fantastic,” Martin said. “I think we’re going to try to celebrate those other years and hopefully make a show as memorable as some of our favorites.”
Martin and his bandmates — guitarist Jonny Buckland, bass player Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champi
on — poked fun at themselves throughout the session.
Asked how they would f it 16 years of music into about 12 minutes, Martin said, “We decided we’d play all our No. 1s, and then work out how to f ill the other 10 minutes.”
Band members declined to say which team they would be pulling for Sunday.
“I think we’re firmly split down the middle between those of us who know absolutely nothing about football,” Buckland said, “and those of us who know almost absolutely nothing about football.”
Said Martin: “It’s the Denver Panthers that we’re definitely rooting for.”
Delay of game
The Super Bowl features a longer pregame and halftime than players usually experience.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said he broached the topic with Coach Ron
Rivera.
“I was teasing Coach, ‘ You need to let us out early so we can go see Beyoncé,’ you know what I’m saying?” Newton said. “Nope. Just trying to find any way to stay on rhythm as possible, I think that’s going to be key.”