In the midst of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) uprising I got together via Zoom with a bunch of aging white guys of my vintage and political profile to talk current events. This is a monthly gathering that used to feature dinner and discussion, but now because of the pandemic it features solely discussion. The topic was the BLM uprising, and we went around the Zoom panels offering each participant a chance to express their views on the moment. My turn came and I echoed the sentiments of others but added that one of the most significant signs of the times was the reaction to the BLM in pro sports. NASCAR eliminating the Confederate flag from its events would have been unthinkable a month ago.^[1] Roger Goodell’s apology to NFL players for not supporting their right to protest ala Colin Kapernick was amazing, and for me it recalled the actions of Dave Meggyesy during the last major moment of massive social unrest in 1968.^[2] Meggyesy, an NFL linebacker with the St Louis Cardinals, protested war, racism and imperialism during the playing of the Star Spangled banner and was promptly benched by the Cardinals.^[3] At the time I was a high school footballer, and I took inspiration from his actions. The next speaker on our Zoom call said he was not impressed by the actions of “billionaire athletes”. The Zoom format does not lend itself to back and forth, so I remained silent, but what I wanted to say was: “What fucking world are you living in!!”

In the world I live in, along with most Americans, sports are huge. They are a huge industry and the actions of players on and off the field are a reflection of the times and prominent players influence the times. Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber held the heavyweight boxing championship from 1937 thru 1949. Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line in 1947. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved fists on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. These athletes became icons in the black community, and their actions propelled the struggle for social justice forward. Beyond these barrier breaking moments, we find ourselves in a very different situation now in two of the top sports leagues of the world, the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In all sports the players are the game. These super skilled workers are the league. The owners provide the capital for stadiums and marketing, but nobody comes to see Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, throw or catch the pigskin. In fact, the earliest baseball teams were worker owned cooperatives led by German socialist brewers in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

The revenues of the NFL in 2019 were almost 11.4 billion, the richest sports league in the world. The NBA was the third most prosperous at $6.3 billion. The power, prestige and social consciousness of the NBA players have been demonstrated in their early support and public endorsement of Black Lives Matter after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in 2013 who had murdered Treyvon Martin in Florida in 2012 and then the police murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. The longtime owner of the LA Clippers, Donald Sterling was forced to divest his team in 2014 after his racist screed was captured on the Internet. Lebron James said, “There’s no room for Donald Sterling in the NBA-there is no room for him”^[4] The players of all teams threatened a strike if Sterling stayed. Sterling is gone, and it is clear that under Commissioner Adam Silver (and to his enduring credit) the players call the shots. Over 78% of the players in the NBA are African American.

The NFL on the other hand has been slower to move despite the fact that over 70% of the players are African American. Colin Kapernick’s protests of police murders were sparsely supported in 2016 and his blackballing has not been countered by player unity. Partly this is a reflection of the uber conservative ownership of the NFL and its historically tighter identification with the military industrial complex and martial jingoism. It is also a reflection of the fact that many of the stars of the NFL, mostly quarterbacks, are white and many have been hardly progressive in their politics. Witness Tom “Terrific” Brady’s embrace of Donald Trump. But the times they are a changing even in the NFL as reflected by Goodell’s apology. Richard Sherman the outspoken star corner back from the 49ers sees change even among these white stars, “I’m impressed with the white QBs speaking up because those are voices that carry different weight than the black voices for some people,” Sherman said. “Which means the people who refuse to listen to a black athlete’s perspective will hear the same thing said from a white athlete, but receive the message much differently. So it’s awesome that more people are speaking out, because in sports, you really have a love and appreciation for your fellow man, regardless of race.”^[5] I can’t wait for the first game and a massive show of force by black players and their allies: protesting, kneeling, engaging in whatever forms of struggle they choose. Players have already been marching, and I think they are feeling their power. In fact despite my discussion circle comrade’s dismissal of Billionaire players, they are in one of the most powerful positions in society as workers and black people. Their dominant presence and percentage of the workforce in the two aforementioned leagues is a potential power in industry unrivaled by any labor organization. And their influence in society particularly in the NFL, which is America’s game, and white America’s game is enormous. The American population while not 80% white as in 1968 is still majority white at about 60%. The black population is at 12 % of the country, and while this is a very solid political block and still a very reliable voting bloc, it has no where near the force and power that the huge African American population has in two of the biggest sports in the world. My union brothers and sisters would die for that kind of market power in the private sector. Private sector unions are at 7% of the US workforce. 

Rather than being dismissive of millionaire athletes let’s recognize that their increased activism is a reflection of a positive and dramatic societal shift. Let’s also recognize that they have the potential to demonstrate the power of organized workers in their industries. Let’s recognize the incredible change that Black athletes can help leverage in America. Fox news host Laura Ingraham famously said, “shut up and dribble” to NBA players supporting BLM. Donald Trump said “Get those sons of bitches off the field” in response to Kapernick. How puny and weak those blustering comments look now in light of the last few weeks’ developments and the looming specter of black worker power in their sports leagues and society at large. 

Black players really matter!

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^[1] https://www.nfl.com/news/kamara-supports-bubba-wallace-at-first-public-nascar-race-since-march

^[2] https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/06/nfls-roger-goodell-finally-gets-it-right-apologizes-to-players-colin-kaeperick-who-kneeled-to-protest-police-killing-black-people.html

^[3] https://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-1968-nfl-anthem-protest-20180717-story.html

^[4] https://www.espn.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/10844906/lebron-james-no-room-donald-sterling-nba

^[5] https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2894351-49ers-richard-sherman-impressed-with-the-white-qbs-speaking-up-against-racism

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