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Tennis legend Billie Jean King has been selected as one of the honorary coin toss captains for Sunday's Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams.
King will be joined by the team captains of the California School for Deaf - Riverside Cubs, members of the High School Girls Flag League of Champions, and girls' youth tackle football players from the Inglewood Chargers and Watts Rams, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX's passage.
Passed in 1972, Title IX is one of the most significant civil rights victories for women in the USA. The Amendment abolishes any sex-based discrimination in educational programs that receive funding from the federal government.
The National Football League (NFL) announced the list of honorees through a press statement on Saturday. The NFL said that before the coin toss captains step out onto the field, King would narrate a "moving tribute" to Title IX and its impact on the "landscape of education and sport."
Speaking to the NFL upon receiving the news, Billie Jean King said it was an honor to be selected.
"It is an honor to stand with these outstanding student athletes and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX on one of the world's biggest stages," King said. "It's hard to understand inclusion until you have been excluded, and I am proud to be part of this year's Super Bowl Coin Toss and the NFL's commitment to bring us together and make us stronger."
Roger Goodell, the league's commissioner, was all praise for the 12-time Grand Slam singles champion, hailing her as a "trailblazer" who advanced sports and society beyond comparison.
He hoped that, by including King in the ceremony, the NFL could send a message to the world that it shares her ideals of gender equality and equal access to opportunity for people belonging to all groups.
"Billie Jean King is a trailblazer who set in motion transcendent changes that led to the betterment of sports and society," Goodell said. "Her inspiring drive for gender equality and equal access to opportunity has benefited generations, and her legacy continues through the football players that will surround her on Sunday, proving that football is truly for everyone."
"How much can one person do, not only for a sport but for humanity?" - Paul Annacone in praise of Billie Jean King
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, tennis commentator Paul Annacone opined that Billie Jean King was fully deserving of the honor. Annacone was in awe of everything King had done for the welfare of humankind and referred to her as an "amazing leader."
"That is awesome and so well deserved. How much can one person do, not only for a sport but for humanity? She is an amazing leader, and it is great to see her out there this weekend," Annacone said.
Billie Jean King was one of the foremost advocates for equal pay in the sport. In 1973, she co-founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to champion women's causes in the sport. Furthermore, the 78-year-old is also a noted activist for pro-environmental and pro-LGBTQ causes today.
