(ThyBlackMan.com) One of the better NFL games during Week 11 a few weeks ago was the Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady’s struggles and the Rams looking like a possible contender for the NFC Championship game were some of the takeaways from the Buccaneers loss. Interestingly, one of the more fascinating stories from the game did not involve a player or coach from either NFL team competing in it. There was NFL history by the officiating crew working that game because it was an all-Black officiating crew for the first time in NFL history. Of course, the NFL recently celebrated its 100th season so it has been around a while and any “firsts” are noteworthy but should there be reasons to celebrate an all-Black officiating crew in the National Football League?
In 1965, Burl Toler became the first Black game official in NFL history. Toler was not only the first Black game official in NFL history, he was the first Black official in any major sports league. Integration of Black people in major sports has always been a historical note because of the skills, talents, and resilience of Black people in sports throughout American history. Jackie Robinson isn’t just a famous name in sports history, he is a major name in American history. Over 20 years after Toler, Johnny Grier became the first Black NFL referee in 1988. It is important to note that a referee is the leader of the officiating crew.
In the present day, the NFL’s first all-Black officiating crew was led by referee Jerome Boger and had four members of his 2020 crew. The men who made history during that Monday Night Football game along with Boger were umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, side judge Dale Shaw, field judge Anthony Jeffries, back judge Greg Steed and longtime NFL official and line judge Carl Johnson. Johnson and Steed were joined Boger’s crew that particular game for that historic event. Prior to the game, Boger said, “I am proud of my heritage and excited about my participation in this historic game. The opportunity to work with a great group of Black officials and exhibit our proficiency in executing our assignment is something I am really looking forward to.”
It is understandable that some Black people look at the moment to criticize the NFL for taking so long to put together the first all-Black officiating crew given how “normal” all-white officiating crews are. Some Black people do not “celebrate” any “firsts” that happen in the present day because it shows that anti-Black racism has been so ingrained for so long that doing the right thing in hiring qualified Black people to positions is not cause for celebration. Both of those notions are understandable. It is also understandable that in discussing why it took so long for the first all-Black officiating crew to understand the ignorant, racist reasons why Black referees and game officials did not get hired earlier.
The crew that officiated the Tampa Bay and Los Angeles game showed leadership and poise in making calls that some people believe that Black men cannot do proficiently enough to be professionals in the most recognizable professional sports league in America. It was great that referee Jerome Boger was the one leading this historic crew because he wears the number 23, but not because of reverence for Michael Jordan. Boger wears 23 in honor of Johnny Grier, the first Black NFL referee, and that means that visual of that game can inspire generations of Black kids to be involved in football by officiating the game.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines
