NFL calls it Race Norming, others call it Pseudo-Scientific Racism

An article by the Guardian discusses the recent news on the $1bn settlement and how the NFL is using an algorithm that assumes lower cognitive skills for Black Players. First, 70% of the players in the NFL are black. They are the leaders, the protagonist, and basically – the show. Without them, the NFL would not exist as we know it and the math looks vastly different for the whole, white-dominated eco-system. No matter how they try to justify it, we should have never gotten here in the first place. It is an insult, a slap in the face to players and their fans.

The thinking of Thomas Jefferson, Madison Grant, and John Calhoun still live with us today. The NFL made 12 billion dollars last year. When you look at the economics and policies around the race norming scandal it is easy to conclude that the players are indentured servants and the owners, including the administration, participate in plantation-type behavior.

On social media, you can see former star athletes like Eric Dickerson discuss how wide the power differential is in the league. Of course, disgusting but not surprising, professional sports is another entity based on white supremacy. During the last year, we have seen a coach and NFL staff emails released displaying their anti-black racism. The unfortunate order of business is that everyone knows this is the way most, if not all of them think and operate. If this statement is wrong, we should ask why the Rooney rule is needed in a corporation where most of the employees are black and why it has not been successful.

The leverage is with the players and until this is understood, no real change will occur. Do the math and the numbers will prove this to be true. The business of the black athletes and more importantly, the black fans, must be to continually find ways to increase leverage and power. Also, to make anti-black racism costly for those who continue to participate in it.