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On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith said the NFL needs black ownership as he pointed out the lone two minority owners in the league. Buffalo Bills co-owner Kim Pegula is Asian-American, and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan is Pakistani-American.
Smith asserted that the need for black ownership needed to be addressed:
"If that ain’t an insult to black coaches everywhere. What the hell is? So, in the end what it comes down to is the National Football League. They put out, you know, their memo. I'm not holding them accountable because I know that they have done a lot to address the situation. It's about 30 owners because Kim Pegula, for the Buffalo Bills, is Asian American. She's an owner in Buffalo. And obviously, Shad Khan, Pakistani-American, he’s an owner in Jacksonville. The other 30 owners are white. So, what we really, really need to bring up is the need for black ownership.”
Smith concluded his comments by asserting that league owners will not change because there is no reason to and they cannot be trusted:
“There has been plenty of black folks out there with some money that want to be part of groups, so they could have an ownership status, significant ownership stake in the National Football League. That's what we need to be addressed in, because the NFL owners themselves, they cannot be trusted. They cannot be trusted, and they're not going to change because they don't have to, because people are going to watch football. They're going to still pour money into the NFL coffers. And those owners are going to get paid, and that's all they care about. They cannot be trusted. Real change is gonna come about when we diversify ownership."
Has the NFL ever had a black owner?
Presently, there are no black majority owners in the league, and, in its 102-year-history, there has never been a black majority owner the league. With the Denver Broncos now up for sale, there has been speculation about one possible bidder. Many have speculated that Denver native Robert F. Smith could place his bid to own the Broncos.
The 59-year-old entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of $6.7 billion. Per Forbes, he is listed as the richest black person in the United States. Having Smith as an owner would be a game-changer.
However, according to reports, the billionaire investor has no interest in owning a franchise.
Having representation matters in a league where the players are predominantly black. Continuing to not have a single black owner in a majority black league says a lot about how important representation really is to the league. Sooner, rather than later, one hopes that will change.
