Minority Tommy

Good afternoon. Just got back from the protest against Mel Gibson as commencement speaker on College Green.

Anyway, as soon as I saw the headline on ESPN.com, I cringed.

Amaker to become lone black Harvard head coach

Not because I don't think there should be any black coaches at Harvard. I don't care what color my coaches are.

But because Tommy Amaker is already getting the "minority Randy" treatment.

When new Miami football coach Randy Shannon arrived, one of his first questions was about being The U's first black football coach. And he presented a priceless response.

"I'm a ball coach. I don't think it has anything to do with minority issues," Shannon said. "When I go to the ACC meetings, they're going to look at me and go, 'Hey, Randy, how you doing?' They're not going to go, 'Hey, minority Randy.' I'm just going to be Randy Shannon."

I hope with all my heart that Tommy Amaker's welcome at Harvard on Friday won't be about hiring a black coach.

I hope it will be about hiring a coach who's been in the Big East and the Big Ten, and is by all accounts, a great coach and a great person. Hell, I don't even care if it's about all about coach who's never won anything besides an NIT at the head coaching level.

As long as it's not about the token black guy.

I don't deny that given our nation's history of discrimination against black people in the workplace, it's a big deal that Harvard diversified its coaching staff.

However, it's an unfair way to introduce a man who should stand for a lot more than the color of his skin.

For today's Spring Fling forecast, we're going to turn to James Russell of the Spin, who gave this writer no credit in his hijacking of the Spring Fling forecast.

You want to start dueling forecasts? I'm always down for a good duel. You set the terms, I'll set the prize.