More Than a Super BOWL
The gem in the American sporting events calendar will be held on February 12th – the 57th Super Bowl. This is an event equivalent to the World Cup final (just in case you don’t know the magnitude of this event). Last year’s Super Bowl had 100 million viewers watching world-wide. The average cost of a 30-second advert was $7 million dollars - not bad for sport that is largely played in one country (Yes, the sport is played in more than one country - for the record - but it’s not played to the same level or with the same amount of coverage).
This year’s Super Bowl will be making history for different reasons other than just viewer figures, adverts, performances, and celebrity appearances. There is a real story of significance here.
This year will be the first time in the game’s history where there will be two black (African American) quarterbacks (QBs) starting on the field come Sunday night; Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.
Why’s this a big deal?
Let’s take a moment to talk about the QB role and look back through the sport’s history. The QB is the most important player on the team. Everything on the field goes through them. They are the leader of the team. The success of a team is often pinned on how good or bad the QB is. Not surprisingly these players are the highest paid players in their teams and in the league. For all intents and purposes, having a great QB can turn an average team a great one.
So, why is this important you still may be asking?
Well, not so long ago there was a majority of primarily white people in the sporting world who believed that black players couldn’t be QBs – even though the player may be athletically gifted and talented. According to this majority, black players did not possess the intelligence, leadership skills and/or character to be leaders of a team. Black players were allegedly unable to handle the pressure and responsibility of the position. So, for a long time, there weren’t any black QBs within the league.
Considering the National Football League (NFL) has been around since 1920’s the first black QB in the NFL only appeared in 1968 - Marlin Briscoe who played for The Denver Broncos. This was 22 years after the NFL became “integrated” in the 1946 (according to NFL official however other website sources vary). There was not a shortage of black players suitable for the QB role, however. One thing is for certain, there were lack of people in the right positions with the want to give black players the main job. We can see how it is taking people a long time to unlearn and truly change their ingrained thoughts and make different decisions.
At the start of the season in September, there were 11 starting QBs in the NFL. Now two of these black QBs will go head-to-head to win the biggest prize in American sport. Simply put, this has made a statement to the sporting world, and it’s squashed the idiotic notion that black players are unable to be leaders both in the sporting world and wider society.
Not only are black QBs now starting in the league more regularly, but they are also being successful on and off the field. In doing so they have also changed how the position is played – THIS ABSOLUTELY CHANGES THE GAME.
Let’s not be foolish however… it doesn’t change everything. These stereotypes and false narratives about black people’s credibility and personality is a reflection of how wider society perceives and treat black people as a whole.
Anyway, before I go on a tangent about the issue with black leadership in society or the lack of black coaches within the NFL, let me say this…
I am going to watch the Super Bowl and enjoy it because either way a black QB is going to win the Super Bowl and history will be made.
Will you be watching?
Love Ken.
NB: I am very aware that Patrick Mahomes is mixed race/biracial. However, he himself identifies as black. And Society, will identify him as black due to the consequences of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the infamous one drop rule that cane to be. If you’ve never heard of one drop rule, this might be a good time to read about it.
