Black Press International |

Date: Feature Week of February 16, 2003
Topic: Black Press Business/Economic
Author: William Reed
Article ID: article_ema021603a

BLACK CONGRESSMAN MOVES FOR FAIRNESS IN FRONT OFFICES
Can Government Legislation Move Goalposts In Our Direction?

Black fans are guilty of underwriting the broad discrimination that exists in American sports. Just because there's an abundance of African Americans on football fields, basketball arenas and baseball ballparks doesn�t mean there's the fields are level. Blacks spend $50 billion-a-year on entertainment and leisure supporting whites that run 99 percent of sports� management and front offices. The business of sports is a $400 billion global industry. The love affair between Americans and professional sports dates back to the origins of major league baseball, over 120 years ago. Currently 140 baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams exist at the major league level in the U.S. Because some teams play in multi-purpose facilities, these teams play in 83 different stadiums and arenas located in 24 states and Washington, DC. Too many front office executives, who pick the coaches and top sports administrators, won't change century-old ways without a Capitol kick in their butts and pocketbooks.

Saying that it's time for the government to pass legislation to force American sports teams to diversify their coaching and management ranks, Atlanta's African-American Congressman John Lewis is trying to move minorities to highest levels in sports. "When we see a great many African Americans playing in sports, it gives a false impression that the world of athletics is one of equal opportunity," says Lewis, who, along with five other members of Congress intend to begin Capitol Hill discussions on legislation that would affect colleges and professional teams. Lewis and his cross-town counterpart, Rep. David Scott, say they will haul pro owners and college officials before Congress to testify on the issue; because "Getting Congress to understand the depth of what is going on is where we want to start, because the facts are unreal."

The facts are: African Americans comprise 75 percent of National Basketball Association (NBA) rosters, 63 percent of the National Football League's (NFL), and 33 percent of Major League Baseball (MBL). According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, only six of the 140 major professional sports teams have Black general managers and only four have Black presidents. Charlotte's NBA team's new owner, Bob Johnson, is the only Black majority owner in all of sports and New York Islanders owners Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar are the only other minorities holding major stakes in a team. In its 80-year history, there have been 1,636 NFL seasons, just 34 of which have featured Black head coaches. Only Ray Rhodes and Tony Dungy ever got a second chance as head coaches in a league.

In all the professional sports leagues, only the 63-year-old NBA has been able to successfully spur owners to consistently put minorities in high profile positions without internal legislation. The first Black coach in professional sports (Bill Russell), first Black general manager (Wayne Embry) and first Black club president (Embry) all came in the NBA. The NBA was the first to incorporate hip-hop in arena shows. It has 12 Black coaches, four general managers, one president and one owner.

Major League Baseball has seen a dramatic increase in minority coaches since owners were required to submit coaching candidates to league offices; 30 percent of MLB teams currently have minority managers. But, when the NFL recently tried to adopt a similar policy, requiring each team to interview at least one minority candidate for all head coaching positions, the Detroit Lions almost immediately circumvented it.

Government legislation may not bring about a higher level of morality among sports owners, but it will get their attention. While media revenues and ticket receipts used to be the primary factors driving the value of sports franchises, now stadium and arena revenues are just as important. Funding for 80 percent of the new sports facilities of the past 20 years has come from local and state governments, not the owners.

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