THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Women in sports are all over your headlines at the moment, and rightly so. The amazing success of England's Lionesses will have captured your attention, even if you're not a hardened fan of soccer or even sport in general. They have now set a very high bar for themselves, but their personal stories are what makes their achievement more poignant.
More often than not, any female athlete has to jump through many more hoops than their male counterparts. This is being addressed, albeit slowly, and no finer example is the US Women's National soccer team. They fought long and hard to get parity with the men's side, and now they have an equal footing. And so they should, given their consistency. A good test of this will be when they meet the Lionesses later this year at Wembley Stadium, in a kind of unofficial 'best of the best' matchup.
Away from the field, and into the boardroom, there is also a sea change, and again this is happening quicker in the States. One area where there is slower progress is when it comes to those from ethnic backgrounds. This however had a real noticeable moment when the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League announced Sandra Douglass Morgan as the first female Black president in the game's history.
The Raiders, one of the most storied – and often controversial – team in the NFL, made the news official at a press conference at their Allegiant Stadium in July. "I have been the first in other positions that I've held, whether it be city attorney or Gaming Control board," she said. "I definitely never want to be the last and I want to get to the point obviously where there is no more firsts. If I could be an inspiration or help or open doors for any other women or girl out there then that's an incredible accomplishment for me. The importance and effect of it is not lost on me. I know that sports is a male-dominated industry, just as gaming was, and we need to continue to break down these barriers."
The significance of Morgan's appointment won't be lost on many that follow the NFL closely, given that in the past year they have had to make a high-profile sacking of their former head coach Jon Gruden after it was made public that he had sent emails, while working as an analyst on ESPN, that were homophobic, racist, and misogynistic in the language used. Gruden stated that he never meant to hurt anyone, and of course the Raiders acted swiftly and appropriately by dismissing him.
The page has turned, and a new chapter has started. Morgan clearly has her mind set on the future, but needed to look at the recent past: "I am not here to avoid or sidestep problems or concerns that need to be addressed. I've given long and thoughtful consideration to joining you [the Raiders], and I've done so because I believe in the promise of the Raiders. Most importantly, I believe in your core values of integrity, community, and commitment to excellence."
Owner Mark Davis can also see the value that Morgan brings, and not just as a ground-breaking role model: "From the moment I met Sandra, I knew she was a force to be reckoned with. We are extremely lucky to have her at the helm," he said.
The Raiders do have a good history when employing those from ethnic backgrounds into high profiles positions. In 1989 they hired Art Shell as the first Black head coach of the modern era, and in 1972 they made Tom Flores the first Hispanic head coach. They also made Amy Trask the first female CEO in the NFL in 1997.
It's easy to see why the appointment was made, given Morgan's background. Born In Las Vegas, she was previously serving as chairwoman and executive director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, having previously been the director of external affairs for AT&T Services Inc. in southern Nevada, and as a litigation attorney for an international gaming and hospitality company.
