With so many Black athletes claiming center stage in the sports
universe, one might be inclined to declare that athletics is the one
slice of American life where equal opportunity abounds. Some might even
say that sports represent a model of ethnic diversity that should be
admired and emulated by all.
Reality, however, paints a much different and much bleaker picture.
True, there’s ample Black representation when you’re talking about
the athletes who compete. But when you look at the percentages of
Blacks employed in the non-jock positions in sports, there’s a drastic
drop-off. You just won’t find many people of color holding down jobs as
coaches and athletic administrators.
In recent years, Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of
Sport in Society has compiled hard data in its Racial Report Card to
demonstrate that these shortcomings in hiring minorities are not
imaginary. Pro sports has performed horribly in this area, considering
79 percent of the players in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
and 66 percent of the National Football League (NFL) are African
American.
For example, according to the recently released 1997 Racial Report
Card (RRP), 15 percent of office management in the NFL is Black, as are
22 percent of officer support staff. In the NBA, the respective numbers
are 17 percent and 31 percent. Additionally, just 24 percent of NBA
coaches and 10 percent of NFL coaches are African American.
Black athletes have taken professional sports to a higher level.
But when it comes to who coaches, who manages, and who gets the
administrative positions, athletics is strictly a White man’s game.
And that’s not the end of it. College sports, long perceived as a
more equitable arena for equal opportunity than their professional
counterparts, also fall short — way short.
