Chapter 1: The State of America's Sport

You see that cap in the image above? That’s me wearing it alongside my favorite little buddy; a "small person on a giant's shoulders can see much further than the giant…” Yet, even now that he’s officially in his double digits, he still needs guidance to comprehend what he sees.

My earliest memories revolve around football, often watching my father coach kids on our military base. While I don’t recall many games we watched together, I distinctly remember the tears I shed when Lawrence Taylor collided with Joe Theismann. Ever since, I’ve been a devoted follower of America's sport.

The team formerly associated with an insensitive mascot name, which I’ve witnessed winning championships throughout its history, is just a small part of a much larger issue. Recent events have highlighted this pressing concern.

Brian Flores, a young coach from Brooklyn with Honduran roots, has thoroughly revealed the mockery behind the NFL's Rooney Rule, which mandates that NFL teams interview minority candidates for head coaching positions.

Flores received a congratulatory text from Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, mistakenly believing Flores had been hired for the vacant position with the New York Giants. The irony is palpable…

America grapples with a race issue. Ironically, America’s sport, measured by participation and viewership, reflects this struggle while attempting to ignore its own reflection. Racism is often swept under the rug, discussed only in the past tense, as if contemporary history is devoid of institutional and everyday racism. We all know someone who's sixty years old.

Throughout its history, the NFL, including my favorite team—which needed federal intervention to integrate and was the last team to welcome a black player, Bobby Mitchell—has repeatedly faced its racial challenges. Most recently, Colin Kaepernick brought attention to these issues. As time passes and the evolution of equality progresses, a glaringly obvious yet poorly concealed secret has resurfaced, highlighted by Brian Flores' experiences in coaching.

Anyone who follows the NFL knows that at the time of this writing, there is only one head coach of color in the league. How quaint, right?

This is reminiscent of the token black kid at a party—one of the "good ones." In a league where around seventy percent of players are black, having just one head coach is disheartening; twelve percent of black coaches hold offensive coordinator roles, while thirty-four percent are defensive coordinators. The owners, acting like corporate entities, fail to acknowledge the reality of their employees suffering from head trauma, treating sensitivity training much like other Fortune 500 companies.

This is America, where the color of your skin can disqualify you from leadership positions. It's a place where capable, passionate, and intelligent leaders are overlooked or ridiculed for believing they can inspire, lead, and earn respect within a franchise.

You must be twice as skilled, twice as intelligent. They put in the effort, but you have to exert even more. The notion that you can achieve anything you want in America is often misleading.

Except when it comes to being accepted based on your integrity and hard work, just like anyone else.

America's sport is facing a significant problem that mirrors America itself. This is a vital lesson I want my son to grasp, just as I was taught by my father, grandfather, and his father…

Down Bad.

Chapter 2: Looking Ahead

As we reflect on these issues, it's essential to discuss potential solutions and the way forward for America's sport, ensuring that future generations understand the importance of equality and representation.