Political Economy and Team Ownership: a Collective Case Study Of
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POLITICAL ECONOMY AND TEAM OWNERSHIP: A COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND ITS OWNERSHIP GROUPS A Dissertation by ANTHONY JEAN WEEMS Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, John N. Singer Committee Members, Natasha T. Brison Yvonna S. Lincoln Joe R. Feagin Head of Department, Melinda Sheffield-Moore August 2019 Major Subject: Kinesiology Copyright 2019 Anthony Jean Weems ABSTRACT This dissertation examined the character and social structure of team ownership groups in the National Football League (NFL) and how they shape the function of the NFL and/as a broader political economy. Drawing from bricolage as a form of research, the collective case study design (Stake, 2005) was employed to investigate the NFL and its ownership groups to better understand the political economy which shapes – and is shaped by – the NFL. Analyzing a variety of content from sources including the NFL, official team websites, news articles, legal cases, media interviews, online databases, and empirical social science, data were coded into themes and discussed in terms of NFL owners as a collective unit. As empowered through the structure of the NFL, ownership themes included the following: (a) overrepresentation of elite white men, (b) intergenerational transfer of wealth, (c) nepotism, (d) inter-institutional representation, (e) political and economic network, and (f) philanthropy. The interrelation of these themes points to the centrality of NFL ownership within a broader political and economic network that (re)produces the politics of elite-white-male dominance in the United States (see Feagin & Ducey, 2017). Implications for sport management research and practice are discussed. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I will begin by extending my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. John N. Singer. When I was a lost undergraduate with very little direction on campus, you recognized me as an individual and gave me the time of day for me to be able to learn and grow. You showed me the doors I needed to walk through to accomplish my own dreams and I am forever indebted to you for doing so. Thank you for supporting me a person and as a young scholar attempting to navigate this world. To each of my committee members, thank you for serving on my committee. You all had incredible influence on how I went about crafting this dissertation. And while that is invaluable in and of itself, you all went beyond committee service in my development as a doctoral student and as a person. Dr. Natasha Brison, from the day you first stepped foot on this campus, you have been a mentor to me. Thank you for always being available. You have always been there to offer the perfect kind of professional advice, whether or not you were aware that I needed to hear it at the time. You have been an absolute joy to get to know and my only regret is that I was never able to have you lead a full seminar in which I was a student. Still, your impact is felt. Thank you. Dr. Yvonna Lincoln, I developed a deep admiration for you from the first day I sat in on your class. Your passion and curiosity for the world sparked something in me that went well beyond learning research methods. To others, I always likened you to Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. Each day, each conversation, became a winding journey where I not only learned more about a particular topic but also myself as an individual. If that’s not the heart of education, then I am in the wrong line of work. You truly inspired me and I cannot thank you enough for your service on my committee. iii Dr. Joe Feagin, your impact on my development as a scholar and as a person navigating academia has been irreplaceable. My research interests have been substantially shaped by you and the space(s) you provide for others to grow. The whole thrust of this dissertation came from your work with Kimberley Ducey and would not be what it is today without the topical guidance I received from you throughout my entire graduate education. But more than that, you showed me the value of honoring others. I have both witnessed and benefitted from your mentorship in the most humanitarian of senses. Because of that, I am not only a better scholar but a better human being. Your fire has guided me in the darkest of times. As you well know, this kind of work is not easy. Quite the opposite, really. It’s extremely difficult and even hurts at times. It’s in those moments, when I am most hurt or overcome by fear, that your guidance has provided me with the inspiration needed to continue this important work. Thank you for everything you have done for me as a committee member and beyond. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible friends and colleagues I’ve gained throughout my graduate education: Justin Garner, Kristi Oshiro, Sayvon Foster, Suhan Ku, Na Young Ahn, Matthew Goldsmith, Eustace Conjoh, and so many others. Without all of you, I would not have grown into who I am as a scholar today. Whether it was overly long discussions in the office when we all had work to do, studying abroad, experiencing conferences together, or just passing memes back and forth for laughs, you all have held a special place in my graduate experience. Thank you for everything. Much love to you all. Lastly, to my friends and family beyond academia. Thank you for always supporting me. There are far too many to thank individually, but I would not be where I am today without each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you, and thank you all. iv CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES Contributors This work was support by a dissertation committee consisting of Associate Professor John N. Singer [Advisor] and Assistant Professor Natasha T. Brison of the Department of Health and Kinesiology, Professor Yvonna S. Lincoln of the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, and Professor Joe R. Feagin of the Department of Sociology. All work conducted for the dissertation was completed by the student independently. Funding Sources Graduate study was supported by a fellowship from Texas A&M University. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. iii CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES .................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................................ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Liberation Studies in Sport Management ................................................................... 1 Political Economy ........................................................................................... 2 Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice .......................................................... 4 Organizations and Top Managers ................................................................... 6 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 7 Framework .................................................................................................................. 8 Character and Social Structure........................................................................ 8 Elite-White-Male Dominance System .......................................................... 11 Interlocking Directorates .............................................................................. 15 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................. 17 Character Structure of Sport Owners ........................................................................ 17 Ownership and Governance of the NFL ................................................................... 20 Sport Networks, Governance, and Oligopolism ....................................................... 29 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 37 Bricolage ................................................................................................................... 37 Methods..................................................................................................................... 42 Case Sample .................................................................................................. 44 Data Collection ............................................................................................. 44 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 45 CHAPTER IV FINDINGS ................................................................................................... 48 vi Overrepresentation of Elite White Men .................................................................... 50 Apex of Intersectionality............................................................................... 52 Intergenerational Transfer of Wealth ........................................................................ 56 Nepotism ..................................................................................................................