Biden Says Black Ownership of NFL Teams Is Question of ‘Decency’

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden backed Black ownership of NFL teams, saying it’s a requirement of “generic decency.”

When asked whether the National Football League should be held to a higher standard on racial equity, Biden said the league “should be held to a reasonable standard,” according to an interview excerpt that aired on NBC’s Super Bowl pregame show. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league wants to make it easier to enable Black ownership by working with prospective Black buyers to become an owner. While seven out of 10 players are Black, no Black person has ever held a majority stake in an NFL team.

In a league with so many athletes of color, “it just seems to me that it’s a standard that they’d want to live up to,” Biden said. “It’s not a requirement of law but it’s a requirement of, I think, just generic decency.” 

He referenced that Goodell said “they’ll take a look at whether they can meet the standard.” 

Media mogul Byron Allen is looking to buy the Denver Broncos in an auction that could reach $4 billion or more. He would be the first Black owner in the 102-year-old NFL. 

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