Race and the NFL Draft: Views from the Auction Block

Abstract

Previous research suggests that minorities are more likely to perceive racially-based discrimination in a variety of settings than are whites, in large part because of the ways their personal experiences with racism shape the lens they use to view the world. We examine a labor market that is typically considered an exception to patterns of racism in employment, the industry of professional football. We interview athletes who attempted to gain employment in the National Football League, a labor market where access to valued positions is heavily restricted by industry practices. Findings from field research and semi-structured interviews indicate that minority workers experience symbolic discrimination during the hiring process. Differential treatment of players reflects stereotypes about minority families and masculinity. Although minority and white players describe much of the actual content of their labor market experiences in similar fashion, their perceptions of these experiences differ sharply, with minority athletes identifying far more negative repercussions.Race scholars note two distinctive forms of discrimination endured by persons of color: overt and symbolic. Bobo and Smith (1998) explain how the racial attitudes of dominant whites have evolved from overt racism, illustrated by Jim Crow segregation, to more symbolic or "laissez-faire" racism. In contemporary American culture, laissez-faire racism stems from institutionalized disadvantages accrued because of prior overt discrimination and results in the development of attitudes that blame African-Americans and other minorities for their own failure to achieve equality in a post-Civil Rights era (Bobo and Smith 1998). Thus, although discriminatory hiring practices, housing restrictions, unequal Qual Sociol (2009) 32:53-73

Stifling Workplace Activism: The Consequences of Anthem Protests for NFL Players

“…Anthem protesters in the NFL were almost exclusively African American (Niven, 2019). There is research that suggests race affects the evaluation, treatment, and compensation of NFL players to the detriment of African Americans (Kahn, 1992;Dufur and Feinberg, 2009;Bigler and Jeffries, 2008;Conlin and Emerson, 2005). Could the significant gap in treatment of protesters and nonprotesters reflect a response to race rather than to political activity?…”

Racial Tasking and the College Quarterback: Redefining the Stacking Phenomenon

“…Proponents of the mind-body dualism approach have historically held that African American athletes are physically superior to White athletes who, in contrast, have greater mental capacities (see Buffington, 2005); thereby leading to the overrepresentation of African American players in peripheral (reactionary or skill) positions and their underrepresentation in central (decision-making) positions (Dufur & Feinberg, 2009;Woodward, 2004), However, Edwards (1973) argues it is not the position's centrality in a sport, but rather its impact on controlling the outcome of the game that determines the resultant positional segregation between White and African American players (as cited in Johnson & Johnson, 1995), Thus, centrality may play an important role in the knowledge obtained and skills developed as a football player; knowledge and skills crucial to obtaining a coaching position.…”

“…This example, and a myriad of more recent media incidents, serves as a reminder that race has marginalized the efforts and on-field success of African American quarterbacks. This is an occurrence found all too common in the media's portrayal of African American athletes in general (Dufur & Feinberg, 2009). Instances of such media inquiries call into question the existence of racial hierarchies, in which White ideologies, discourses, and identities are perpetuated in the sport domain (Hartmann, 2007), Furthermore, the marginalization of African American athletes' athletic efforts can have negative impacts on their career pursuits of head coaching and other leadership positions in the sport industry.…”

Book Review: Conceiving Masculinity: Male Infertility, Medicine, and Identity by Liberty Walther Barnes

“…References to bodies as factories may work for men who do not labor on the factory floor, but less privileged men might not find this usage empowering. In their study of prospective professional football players' experiences of the draft, Dufur and Feinberg (2009) find that African American men felt disempowered by practices that defined them by their bodies and treated them as machines. White men were less critical of practices such as using numbers to identify players and requiring athletes to parade near-naked in front of coaches.…”