The 50 most powerful African Americans in sports: think you know who the real players are? Forget those who earn millions on the field. Here's our all-star list of entrepreneurs and executives who drive the sports industry

Black Enterprise, March, 2005 by Alan Hughes

TURN ON JUST ABOUT ANY MAJOR sports program, and you're likely to see black athletes excelling. Baseball's Barry Bonds, football's Curtis Martin, Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA, and the NHL's Jerome Iginla are all exceptional athletes.

But the true power in sports is behind the scenes. The agent who hammers out the multimillion contract, the front-office executive who negotiates with the agent, or the corporate executive who determines which athlete will be the spokesperson for their product. Sports is big business. According to Sports-Business Journal the combined revenues of the sports industry is more than $213 billion. And the power lies with those who have control over the business aspect of the industry. Sadly, while African Americans continue to dominate on the field, there remains a gross disparity between blacks and nonblacks when it comes to the decision makers in the sports industry.

Because of the success of African Americans on the field, the accomplishments of black front-office executives and agents often go overlooked. Despite their too-few numbers, the editors at BLACK ENTERPRISE decided it was time to recognize their accomplishments by compiling a list of the top African Americans in sports.

We approached this list from a business perspective. Superstar athletes live in the spotlight but we also looked at who's controlling revenues, signing athletes, and hiring and [hind coaches.

The true opportunities in sports are in the boardroom, not the locker room. And the true MVPs are those making gains behind the scenes. Who are these all-stars? Over the next 13 pages, we'll introduce them to you.

--Additional reporting by Ericka N. Goodman & Angela C. Allen

Making The Cut

Unlike other sports lists, BLACK ENTERPRISE approached The 50 Most Powerful African Americans in Sports from a business perspective. Athletes make millions, but who are the people who hire and fire athletes--and coaches--sign them to big contracts, and control forces within sports? BE worked with various professional and collegiate sports organizations, industry insiders, and experts to determine the big players on and off the field. The list is broken down into eight categories and represents the all-stars of sports.

Agents/Promoters:

For every multimillion-dollar sports deal, there's an agent who negotiated the terms, hammered out the details, and received a cut of the pie. Those eligible for this category have careers that span decades and have successfully negotiated lucrative contracts for star athletes.

Athletes:

Outperforming the competition and generating fan interest is the dream of most professional athletes, but to make our list, athletes had to excel on the playing field as well as land lucrative endorsement deals. Those considered for this category had to revitalize or redefine their sport. The economic impact of these athletes on their respective sports is unquestionable.

Collegiate:

If college sports is big business, Division ]-A universities are the mega-corporations. At the helm of these programs are decision makers who manage budgets, oversee multiple sports programs, and determine who coaches their teams, Participants within this category have demonstrated substantial authority in their universities and/or collegiate sports as a whole.

Corporate Executives:

Although not employed by the leagues themselves, these execs have vast influence within the world of sports, whether through overseeing television programming (and the revenues generated thereafter) or signing athletes to lucrative endorsement deals.

Front-Office Executives (leagues and teams):

To be considered for this category, candidates must have control over the business operations, finances, and/or personnel decisions within their respective sports leagues or teams. High in the pecking order, they help negotiate player trades and acquisitions and oversee finances.

Industry Associations:

Charged with promoting the best interests of athletes, these union-like organizations wield enormous power within their respective sports. Labor agreements, salary issues, and marketing the talent all fall within their jurisdiction. The heads of these associations are forces to be reckoned with.

Owners:

They are the ultimate decision makers in professional sports. The ladder doesn't go any higher. For our purposes, owners must hold a controlling interest (at least 51%) of a major professional sports franchise to be eligible. Sadly, for African Americans, this is a list of one.

AGENTS/PROMOTERS

Bill A. Duffy President BDA Sports Management Age: 44

Pulling in a $65 million contract for Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was just a day on the job for Duff. A former player for the Denver Nuggets, Duffy treks the globe for top athletes, including 20 European players. He even managed to acquire Yao Ming from the Chinese Basketball Association. Duffy's client list, which includes Jay Williams and Anthony Carter, reads like a who's who in professional basketball. He was honored as Agent of the Year in 1998 and 2002 by The Black Sports Agents Association.