Race and the Evaluation of Signal Callers in the National Football League

Abstract

Abstract:Until recently, the position of quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) was not an option for black athletes. Today many teams employ black quarterbacks, a development that might suggest race is no longer relevant when it comes to the evaluation of signal callers in the NFL. To examine this contention, this paper explores the relationship between player salary, performance, and race at the quarterback position over the period 1995 to 2006. We find that blacks and whites play this position differently. Specifically, black quarterbacks are more likely to run with the football. This skill, though, is not compensated in the market. Consequently, there is evidence that blacks face an uncompensated entry barrier in this particular occupation.The story of Jackie Robinson illustrates that discrimination was once an issue in professional sports. Is it still a problem today? Although numerous studies have been offered examining discrimination in professional team sports like baseball and basketball, there is little a priori evidence that discrimination remains a problem in these sports. Consequently, it is not surprising that much of the recent research on the topic offers very mixed results with respect to the subject of discrimination. Depending upon the issue examined and the methodology employed, studies have found evidence of discrimination against blacks 1 , discrimination against whites 2 , or no discrimination at all. 3

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“…Then, as we add quarterback performance and other covariates the coefficients and t-statistics on the symmetry variable each decline. All control variables, including the performance measures and player characteristics, have significant coefficients with signs in accord with Berri and Simmons (2009). From both samples, the results reported in Table 2 show that symmetry has a positive and significant coefficient on salary at the 5% level.…”

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