I think one can argue that the university/college based system of affirmative action policies have a major impact on professional sports since both the NFL and the NBA draft the vast majority of their players from college/university ranks. Thus, the player pool available for the draft is very dependent on affirmative action policies in higher “education.” It is well understood, by players, fans, and university/college administrators and professors, that those players recruited from high school to play on university teams frequently do not face the same educational standards imposed on most students. Yes, one can “walk on” to a tryout camp for both the NFL and the NBA, but the success rate is poor.
The majority of players in Major League Baseball are recruited from high school and most spend a few years in the minor leagues learning how to play at the major league level. Affirmative action, per se, does not play a role in that process. Additionally, MLB recruits players from the Caribbean, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. About 25% of new players in the MLB are drafted from colleges and universities.
The National Hockey League has a unique recruiting system that has a world-wide net. U.S. players are recruited/drafted from both the university level and from those who got into minor league hockey from high school. Ditto those drafted from Canada and from European hockey leagues. It is difficult to see where affirmative action plays a role in the NHL.
And, sports similes to the side, 0 received a full “pass” at every state of his live and career.
