Cherry, there are other black minority team shareholders, including rapper Nelly, a partner of Johnson’s, and rapper Jay-Z, who is part of a group buying the New Jersey Nets basketball team.
Fowler announced that buying the team marked “the greatest day of my life” but downplayed the significance of becoming the first black NFL owner. “I just happen to be black. He [McCombs] did not discount the price for that,” he said.
Others did not hold back their enthusiasm.
“It’s monumental. It shows where we’ve progressed in the industry, not just in participation but in ownership,” said Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches Association, a group that claims some 3,000 black professional and collegiate coaches as members.