The greatest sports myth.

Ask just about anyone to name one industry where African Americans have not only achieved parity, but dominance, and the vast majority would point to the world of sports. At first glance, this would seem tree. Generations of Americans have grown up watching black athletes sign eye-popping multimillion-dollar contracts to perform seemingly superhuman feats on the courts, diamonds, and gridirons. Even sports not commonly associated with African Americans, such as golf, tennis, and hockey, are now being dominated by black athletes such as Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and NHL star Jerome Iginla. Some of these athletes earn more money through endorsement deals than they do excelling at the games they play. All of this makes it all too easy for the average person to believe that if there is any industry that has proven to be a true meritocracy, where blacks can enjoy real equal opportunity, it's the sports industry. This notion is far from fact, but one of the great American myths--the greatest myth in sports.

When an athlete signs a pro sports contract or endorsement deal, it is important to understand that the real wealth is not in the hands of the person who receives the check, but the person who can afford to write it. The millions earned by black athletes are but a fraction of the more than $213 billion in revenues generated by the sports industry last year. According to Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal, that figure includes $27.4 billion in television, radio, and magazine advertising; $25.6 billion in equipment and apparel; $10.5 billion in licensed apparel; and nearly $7 billion in media broadcast rights. The total also includes revenues from construction, spectator spending, professional services, travel, and sponsorships.

When you understand that the most important score cards are not in your newspaper's sports section but in the business section, it becomes clear that the true power players in the sports industry are not those who labor on the field of play, but the owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and dealmakers who profit from the exploits of the world's greatest athletes. These are the decision makers who can make or break the careers of even the highest paid all-stars. And contrary to the popular perception of African Americans dominating the American sports scene, the decision makers of sports are overwhelmingly white.

This reality only underscores the importance of "The 50 Most Powerful African Americans in Sports" featured in this issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE. Just as Jackie Robinson and other black athletes broke the color barrier to compete and excel on the field of play, the likes of St. Louis Rams VP of Finance Adrian Bracy, top sports agent Bill Strickland, and New York Knicks Basketball Operations President Isiah Thomas, can be a source of inspiration for other African Americans to raise the bar of achievement and success in sports. We must go beyond being the laborers and consumers of the sports industry and become the employers, dealmakers, and owners who drive this business, and ultimately reap the profits.

We must also challenge the sports industry itself to change and open its doors to all of the opportunities it has to offer. The dearth of African Americans involved in sports, from television production and sporting goods to stadium construction and broadcast rights, is unacceptable. The situation is an apalling reminder of a plantation system--albeit an entertaining and glamorous one--with virtually all white profiteers reaping the fruits of a predominantly black labor pool. The various sports leagues and organization s must invest as much time, money, and effort in their recruitment and development of talent for executive and management positions as they do to find the next Sammy Sosa, Lebron James, and Donovan McNabb.

Not so long ago, the entire nation wanted to be like Mike. Now, even Michael Jordan wants to excel beyond the court, as an owner, entrepreneur, and wealth accumulator. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with young African Americans wanting to be like Lebron or Serena. gut we must teach them to also want to be like Charlotte Bobcats Owner Bob Johnson. Even if we don't all play the game, we should still be able to aspire to own the team.