This week America will be celebrating the seventy-fourth birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. I often wondered what he would have said about the current problems in professional sports. I don’t think the National Collegiate Athletic Asso., or the National Football League understand that famous speech in Washington, D.C. 

Professional and college sports teams seem to be dragging their collective feet once again. African Americans are going to have to start demanding more from schools and college institutions. It is OK that our kids play for you but African Americans cannot make decisions for your teams. 

As of this moment there are five black coaches out of 280 schools in the NCAA. Not only that but there happens to be 30 bowl games this year that means 60 teams. Not a single black college team got invited. The Grambling State Tigers had a record of 12-2; the Bethune Cookman College Wildcats had a record of 11-2; the Tuskegee Golden Tigers stood firm with a record of 10-1; and last the Fayetteville State Broncos finished the season with a record of 10-2.

This year four division-one schools went to the bowl games this year with 6-6 records. The bowl committee stated that these schools could bring fans to the games. I wonder if they even asked black schools to come to the new years dance.

The NFL has done nothing to increase their coaching ranks either. They are still at the number two. These wonderful gentlemen will play each other this weekend in an American Conference wild card playoff battle. The question still needs to be ask: are you serious about hiring minorities in college and professional football?

The Rev. Doctor Martin L. King Jr., would not be pleased today.  

This year the National Football League will have 32 teams. The NFL currently has only two African American head coaches, Herman Edwards of the New York Jets and Tony Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tony’s job could be in jeopardy if Tampa Bay fails to play well in the playoffs this year. African Americans have not gained ground in either the college ranks or NFL; in fact they have lost ground in both. Football owners and athletic directors must recommit themselves for a diverse head coaching staff. 

The National Football League may have come a long way since the Marion Motley (old Cleveland Browns) days of the late 40’s and early 50’s. An African American quarterback won the Super Bowl--Doug Williams with the Washington Redskins.There have been many African American MVP in Super Bowl--Jerry Rice (SF 49ers) the latest. African Americans hold most of the Super Bowl records now. With most receptions, most points scored, most yards gain, most quarterback sacks, and most touchdowns. But the fight still continues in most pro football front offices. 

We cannot forget the first African American head coach, Art Shell, of the (Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland) Raiders. In his sparse years with the Raiders, he won playoff games and won Division titles. 

Currently there are over 45 African American assistant coaches in the National Football League. There are over 140 African American assistant Coaches in the NCAA. Out of these numbers there are quality people who have waited their turn, in silence. 

Once again, the question looms: should there be a national boycott of next year’s football games? Should African Americans not buy products produced by the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association? 

The San Francisco 49ers hired Steve Marriucci (right from college), UC Berkeley, and the Oakland Raiders hired Jon Gruden the youngest coach ever. Other teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs have hired retreads that have been in the league for 30 –40 years. All of these men are very fine and able coaches, I just wonder when African American coaches will once again get their chance. I question the National Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. One of their stated goals of the late nineties was to step up the hiring of African Americans to the head coaching positions. Were they serious then or have they once again dropped the ball on this issue?  

When will the NFL and NCAA select these coaches on the content of their character not the color of their skin? I, too, have a dream, like the Reverend Doctor Martin L. King Jr., of seeing an African American coach holding up the Super Bowl trophy or one raising the Bowl Championship Series glass in victory. 

A few years ago, Dennis Green and his Vikings came very close but were defeated by the Atlanta Falcons in a tough National Conference Championship game. With the current trend, it may take some time to accomplish the glorious feat of having a Black head coach. []