Serena and Venus Williams have been rewriting the tennis history books ever since their breakthrough Gland Slam victory ten years ago at the 1999 US Open.
My favorite tennis playing siblings are currently marching though the 2009 US Open field in the women’s singles and women’s doubles ranks seeking to add to the combined 18 Grand Slam titles they’ve already captured during their careers.
Not being content with just making tennis history, last week they did so on another front. Principal owner and Managing General Partner Stephen Ross announced that the Palm Beach Gardens, FL residents joined Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez in becoming limited ownership partners in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
The purchase of that ownership stake made the Williams Sisters the first African-American women to have an ownership stake in an NFL franchise.
“I am so excited to be part of such a renowned organization,” says Serena. “Having spent so much of my childhood in the area, being involved with a staple of Miami culture is a huge honor. We look forward to many championships and much success together with the Miami Dolphins.”
Agrees Venus, “I am honored to be a partner in the Miami Dolphins franchise and thankful to owner Stephen Ross for allowing Serena and I to be part of Miami Dolphins history.”
Looks like the sisters will definitely be ready for some football when the NFL season kicks off next week.
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Congratulations to sisters Venus and Serena on continuing to break new ground for African-American women.
Monica,
I don’t know how NFL ownership works at all, so excuse my ignorance. Are those six the only partners, or just the most famous? I ask because if they are, I think it’s notable that all of them are (I believe) PoC!
And yay, Venus and Serena!
Elle,
There the most recent people that majority owner Stephen Ross has recruited to become part of his ownership group.
It was noteworthy because while 38% of the players in the NFL are African-American, those numbers tail off sharply in the coaching, general manager and the ownership ranks.
There have been two women who have owned NFL franchises as the majority owner, and both got there through inheriting them from their late husbands
Violet Bidwill Wolfner inherited the Chicago Cardinals after the death of her husband in 1947 and owned them until she died in 1962. Georgia Frontiere owned the St Louis Rams from the time of her husband Carroll Rosenbloom’s death in 1979 until she died in 2008 from breast cancer.
This is very cool.
just wanted to pop in to say i approve of the capitalism-as-feminist-liberation-theology subtext here. when will you all realize Oprah shows the way. resistance is futile.
And when will conservafools realize that the unfetteed free market is not the magic cure all for what ails this country?
oh, i’m sure more than a few conservatives like being fettered, monica.
Thanks, Monica
Manju,
This post is about a historic milestone, not your discredited political philosophy
I’m tired of people irrationally hatin’ on the Williams sisters.
These ladies are thoroughly amazing.