The Slave Side of Sunday By: Dave Zirin

The Slave Side of Sunday By: Dave Zirin

            This article follows the topic of racism in Pro sports. It is and interview based on a book written by Anthony Prior called The Slave Side of Sunday. Prior spent six years in the NFL with 3 different teams. He contends that racism is imbedded in the culture of the NFL. He feels many current or recent players such as Warren Sapp also agree. He also claims that this racism goes widely unchallenged. Prior says that both he and Sapp will be highly criticized for their comments, and they will be told their statements are both absurd and offensive. He contends however that is really quite similar to being a slave. He says black athletes are like former farm slaves adored for their physical skills, but lack the ability to make simple choices in their daily life or in the industry they helped create and power. He claims the NFL is 65% black player based, but only 18 percent of coaches and only 6percent of general managers are black. He also contends that there are no black owners and there are no owners who are anything but white. He contends that on the field black players are treated as Gods but as soon as that uniform comes off they are treated less than human and degraded at every chance given. He contends that players are also bought, sold, traded, and drafted as need to suit the purpose of the owner just like former slaves. He states that he has seen racism used as a tool to bully African American players, especially those from the Southern United States. He also says players are often called things like boy, porch monkeys, or sambos. He says he has seen players benched because they date white women, or because a coach’s competence has been challenged. He said he has even been in film sessions where coaches have degraded players just to get a rise out of everyone else. Prior believes that players are so conditioned to this treatment and don’t want to jeopardize their place or role they just take it. Similar to the issue of pain we just previously discussed. Prior also contends players are not judged on their skill but on their manhood, another topic we previously covered. He feels that players are constantly abused, degraded, or even bullied but this treatment is merely over looked because of their race. Prior also questions the institution of religion he states that players also got benched for missing Bible study. He also criticizes the group Athletes In Action a prayer and Bible group, who lead prayer breakfast and services before games and throughout the year to NFL players. He claims that a majority of preachers in this group are white and teach right off the plantation. He said that the word is not taught for its intended purposes but to brain wash. He says prayer can even be used as a crutch or an obligation on some teams or even the lucky rabbit’s foot. He says he feels players are becoming less true to their faith but slaves to it n the NFL. Prior feels the only way these injustices to be stopped is if the players were to hold a strike right before the Super Bowl and force NFL owners to give back to the poor impoverished neighborhoods that produce many of the players in their league.

            This leads me to ask you do you feel the NFL is really this way or is this thing of the past? Do you think players still allow themselves to be degraded as Prior says? Do you feel Prior is being a little over critical of the buying, selling, and trading players. Likening it to a slave trade, or do you feel it is part of the business? Do you feel religion to players is what Prior claims it to be, or in fact just some of the backwards thinking taught by many religions? Do you feel athletes are more tested on their man hood than skill?  What are your general thoughts and feeling?

            In My opinion I feel as though Prior probably does make a lot of good points. I feel the situation may be even worse in college than in the NFL. I say this because there is a lot more freedom by coaches in college than there is in the NFL. I believe that this is also more rampant in college than in the pros due to the fact that there are so many more teams, and there are many different locales and coaches. I would like to think treatment like this was a thing of the past but may fear is it is still very real today. I will say that I feel he is wrong by saying man hood is tested more than skill. I believe once you get to the NFL level your skill is constantly tested. With the test of skill I think the test of man hood comes along as well. They are a package deal and both go hand in hand. I can also see Prior’s point about likening players to former slaves but I mean come on……. really? Many white players face the same treatment as black players when it comes to restrictions, buying, selling, and trading them. I mean isn’t it Big Ben who is not allowed anywhere near a motorcycle? I think that aspect of the game is just part of the business and owners and coaches move the pieces regardless of color as they see fit and the need to win increases. I will say though it does seem that many white players do get larger deals and get them done faster and more often than black players. I think that Prior is also right that many players do suffer a lot based on their skin and just take it. I feel however this treatment might not just come from coaches and owners but their own ranks as well. As far as religion goes I cannot comment because my own personal views are conflicted. All I will is that religion is a powerful tool and can be easily misused and abused.  

Citation:

 Rothenberg Paula, S. (2001). Race, class, and gender in the United States. (8 Ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.