Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 13, 1995 TAG: 9509130068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BOSTON LENGTH: Medium
With labor problems dominating professional sports during the past year, little progress was made increasing the share of minorities in league offices, a report says.
``Even the casual fan knew that this was not the best year for professional sports,'' said the conclusion to the Racial Report Card, released today by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society.
``The problems did not hamper the steady increases for minorities playing the sports. All three sports had peak years in this regard. However, all the attention to labor strife may have diverted attention from the issue of employment opportunities for blacks in professional sports.''
Overall, the report gave an ``A-'' to the NBA and a ``B'' to the NFL. Major-league baseball received an incomplete - a ``conditional B'' - because some data were not available because of the strike that canceled the 1994 World Series and delayed the start of the '95 season.
Grades in the annual report were based on the percentage of minorities working in the leagues. A ``C'' was given for at least 6 percent; a ``B'' was given for at least 12 percent and an ``A'' for at least 24 percent, a figure that reflects the proportion of minorities in society, according to the report.
Richard Lapchick, the center's director, noted that gains have been made since Los Angeles Dodgers vice president Al Campanis said in 1987 that blacks ``may not have some of the necessities'' to be managers or general managers in baseball.
``The report is a useful tool,'' said Harold Henderson, an executive vice president for NFL labor relations. ``It points out areas where people are making progress and areas where people need work.''
The report found a record number of minorities playing in the three professional sports leagues. Minorities make up 82 percent of players in the NBA, up from 79 percent last year; 68 percent in the NFL, up from 65 percent, and 38 percent in baseball, up from 36 percent.
``The conclusion is clear,'' the report said. ``There is no area of American society with greater opportunities for minorities than professional sport.''
But opportunities in the board room, training room, team and league offices - while greater than in society as a whole - did not keep up with those on the field. Lapchick said he was disappointed professional positions that don't draw from former players - team accountants and doctors, for example - were lagging.
``People are out there,'' he said.
The report also found:
After three years of gains among head coaches, the three sports took a combined step back, from 14 to 12. Five minority coaches were fired last year, and all were replaced by whites.
Meanwhile, Expos manager Felipe Alou was named NL manager of the year, and Atlanta's Lenny Wilkens surpassed Red Auerbach as the winningest NBA coach.
Both basketball and football earned an ``A'' for their unions; the baseball players' association got a ``C-.'' It was the first time they were graded.
There are no blacks heading a team's medical staff. There is one Asian-American and one woman doing so. The NBA and NFL each has a black doctor working in their substance abuse programs.
Expansion has given giving minorities a chance to own teams. While there are no black or Hispanic majority owners in any of the sports, several hold stakes. They include Isiah Thomas (Toronto Raptors), Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) and Julio Iglesias (Miami Heat).
The Cincinnati Reds and St.Louis Rams are both owned by women. Japanese ownership of the Seattle Mariners does not register in the report, which counts only Asian-Americans.
The center compiled its data through media guides, news clippings and information from the leagues.
by CNB