Year of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Communication Studies
Department or School/College
Communication Studies
Committee Chair
Greg Larson
Commitee Members
Erin Wecker, Christina Yoshimura
Keywords
equality, sports, racial, NFL, league
Publisher
University of Montana
Abstract
The National Football League has a decades-long problem addressing within its highest coaching levels. has long been negotiated within the sports community through gender and race. This paper provides insights into what equality means in sports by analyzing the use of the ideograph in the NFL's discourse. The author examines the NFL's problem and how it is negotiated within hiring practices. The lack of within the league is seen through three different problems: the “pipeline problem,” the “Black problem,” and the “competency problem.” The NFL and its critics use these problems to address the significant disparity between
Black players and Black coaches in the league. The NFL’s problem is complex and helps inform other sports organizations' struggles with . To move forward, the NFL must work towards rather than hiding behind this political term without creating tangible results.
Recommended Citation
Merchen, Marley R., "The National Football League's Problem" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12363.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12363
© Copyright 2024 Marley R. Merchen