Introduction
The questionable representation of athlete’s racial identity dates back to the initial stages of televised sports, and racism has played a prominent role in the shaping of both their racial and social identities. My research on race and sport can be organized thematically, with articles focused on: political oppression; brains versus brawns; and stereotypes. My research revolves around how the Black voice has been tuned out by the media; how the Black person has been deemed only physically superior but not intellectually; and how negative Black stereotypes have persisted in society.
Politics, Race and Sports
The most recent example of race and politics in sports came about in the case of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick was not the first to oppose racial oppression and face controversy; John Carlos and Tommie Smith protested on the podium during the 1968 Olympics by doing the Black power salute during the United States national anthem (Hartmann 2019). Much like Kaepernick today, Muhammed Ali (Farred 2008) was not given much of a voice during his fight with George Foreman. Kaepernick has not seen criticism from everyone, however, as some athletes chose to endorse him when others did not, and many college students are now in support of him. At one Historically Black College and University, Middle Georgia, students in 2017 were studied to see how they felt about his stance, and 80% students supported his activism (Murty, Holyfield-Moss, Vyas & Roebuck 2018), but at another public university in the mid-Atlantic of the United States only 41% of students were supportive. 43% of students were unsupportive and 15% were neutral of his actions (Sevi, Altman, Ford & Shook 2019). Kaepernick has also experienced being censured by the public, as many do not want him to be endorsed by major companies such as Nike, which has backed him and his political stances, which in the past has regularly affected sales (Intravia, Piquero, Leaper & Byers 2020). Kaepernick is not the only contemporary athlete who has been condemned for taking a political stance, as in 2018 NBA star Lebron James was told by a news reporter to “shut up and dribble,” as she conveyed that politics do not belong in the mix with sports (Niven 2021). The Black community, parties and athletes have experienced attempts to be stripped of its voice, as other athletes have received similar treatment. This has been a struggle that has taken place for Black athletes throughout the history of American sports.
Racial Representation in Sports
Black athletes are often disputed by the media as highly physical while white athletes are shown to be intelligent. The quarterback position involves both athleticism and efficient thinking, so, in such media portrayals the Black quarterback is deemed to be disadvantaged. One study has shown that participation in athletics is a negative predictor for a Black academic performance, not through GPA but racial identity (Bimper 2014). These opposing depictions date back to media coverage of Jessie Owens 1936 Olympic performance, as Owens won multiple Olympic gold medals in Nazi Germany, where Adolf Hitler was preaching a superior Aryan Race (Hughey & Goss 2015). Owens had been predicted to lose by some because the white race was assumed to be richer in genetics, but when the Black man won, they reversed and reinforced the idea that Blackness and athleticism were tied together. This idea is still persistent today; as now on social media, Black athletes are given credit for their achievements due to the skills they inherently possess, especially when they are called “physically gifted.” (Johnson & Romney 2018). This phenomenon of representing Black physicality and white intellect does not just stem from just sports or from a white perspective. The Black community have also been socialized to believe that the white race is the best fit for any job that is intellectually skill based (Ashburn-Nardo, & Johnson 2008). Race can be a determining factor in the longevity of players in sports; as prior studies with basketball and baseball determined that race was form of “exit discrimination,” where Black athletes were showing shorter longevity in their careers despite similar performance, which suggested that Black athletes were given a shorter leash than white athletes in their respective sports. (Ducking, Groothuis & Hill 2015). Hrdina and Sommers suggested that the prime, or best, most productive age for a quarterback is around 31 years old (Hrdina & Sommers 2006). Black quarterbacks are however more likely to change positions than white quarterbacks before they even reach the professional level (Pitts & Yost 2013), possibly preventing Black Quarterbacks from even meeting that prime age threshold.
Race and Stereotyping
The stereotype of Black physicality also implies intelligence, since this is portrayed to be the strength of white athletes. Another prevalent stereotype is the connection made by the media and public culture between Blackness and criminality. For example, Michael Vick was a revolutionary, highly skilled Black quarterback when he came into the league, but he is mostly known now for his participation in dog fighting. Views of Vick are often racialized, as white people believe he cannot be forgiven, while people of color felt more able to forgive him after he had served his time (Piquero, et al 2011). On the other hand, Ben Roethlisberger, a white quarterback, did not experience the same kind of media and public disapproval following revelations of rape. Roethlisberger has won multiple Super Bowls, but was he not treated the same as Vick, as Vick’s criminal case received more media coverage and Vick’s actions were blamed on detrimental culture. Cases like Vick’s were more supportive of victims while cases like Roethlisberger’s were less supportive of victims (Ash, Sanderson, Kumanyika & Gramlich 2017) In another example of the disparate treatment of white versus Black players, Ray Rice, a Black athlete, had accusations of domestic abuse published immediately and his career was effectively over. Josh Brown, a white athlete, had to admit to the accusations of domestic abuse published allegations for it to even become a short-lived talking point in the media (Krowe 2020). Cam Newton, a Black athlete, was coined a “sore loser” after he was short with the press following his Super Bowl loss; again, the media were unsympathetic towards a Black Player (Waymer & Bradley 2018). When it comes to the NFL draft process, minority prospects tend to be asked about questions based around crime more often than white prospects (Dufur & Feinberg 2009). In sum, Black athletes receive a kind of media lynching for perceived alleged crimes, which may have casting effects on their careers, from the draft onwards (Mears, Warren, Arnio, Stewart, Miltonette 2019). However, in contemporary times the consumer has now had less of an opinion on the prior criminal activity of those being endorsed by a company (Parker & Fink 2012).
Conclusion
Given the evidence of bias around the media portrayals politics in sports; representation; and stereotyping, this project is well-positioned to examine the effect of racial identity on ESPN portrayals of NFL quarterbacks. I will use these themes to create categories in my coding, which will lead to looking for certain words or phrases that relate to these themes when coding my primary sources. This would include looking for similarities in the themes to the way the media portrays these quarterbacks, such as looking for phrases that relate to the athletic ability of Lamar Jackson and the intelligence of Tom Brady; the abuse/rape allegations of Ben Roethlisberger and Deshaun Watson; and the support or lack of support given to the political stances taken by Colin Kaepernick and Aaron Rodgers. We will also look at the overall success of these quarterbacks to see how success and failure for Black and white quarterbacks are portrayed.