‘We wanted a different perspective and it worked’

For two weeks, the Denver Broncos became the first club in American football history to have black owners. “We wanted to bring in people with different perspectives and different experiences and it definitely worked,” said Greg Penner, co-owner of The Walter Penner Group.

Penner’s investment firm acquired the Broncos for a record-breaking $4.5 billion deal. It immediately made the club the most expensive gym in the world.

The Walter-Penner Group includes billionaire (white) Rob Walton, son of the founder of Walmart, the largest supermarket chain in the United States. In addition, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, woman Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State) and Melody Hobson also have a stake in the club. The last three are all black.

Midfielder and star Russell Wilson described the arrival of the Black Angels in June as a “historic step towards diversity in the NFL.”

Penner is proud of the composition of the owners: “Lewis is the best Formula 1 driver ever, Dr. Rice has extensive experience in global politics and academia and Melody is an incredibly good businesswoman.”

Despite the fact that nearly seventy percent of NFL players are black, the sport is seen primarily as white. Of the owners, only two people with a non-white background. The majority of the fans who come to the stadiums are white.

The NFL has been trying to promote diversity for years. For example, it is hoped that more coaches and employees of color will be employed in clubs.

The NFL’s policy has also come under much criticism. For example, there are voices that say the union doesn’t do much about diversity. There have also been lawsuits against the NFL, calling the league racist.