A Brief History of the Black Quarterback

Book excerpt: This is the eBook version of the printed book. This Element is an excerpt from Stumbling On Wins: Two Economists Expose the Pitfalls on the Road to Victory in Professional Sports (9780132357784) by David J. Berri and Martin B. Schmidt. Available in print and digital formats. Running the numbers in the NFL: are great black quarterbacks paid less than great white quarterbacks? At lower levels of productivity and salary, there is not much difference between how black and white quarterbacks are treated. A difference is observed when one looks at the game’s very best quarterbacks. Specifically, white quarterbacks who excel are paid more than similarly productive black quarterbacks. It appears there’s a difference in how the best quarterbacks are perceived...