The NFL is not a modern-day slave institution, per se. The players in the NFL are paid (many rather handsomely) and have chosen to play the sport professionally. However, aspects of the NFL combine are oddly similar to the judgment processes that occurred during slave transactions.
The Benefactors
Sixty-eight percent of NFL players are Black. The majority of the men examining, judging and ultimately benefitting from their physical labor are white. The players are stripped down to the bare minimum and have their muscular bodies picked and prodded for size and strength, all with the idea that they could judge a player’s strength and endurance for financial gain.
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