NEW YORK.  Leaders of civil rights groups met here today to break through what they claim is the last barrier standing between African-Americans and full participation in U.S. professional sports--the "ivory wall" that keeps black place-kick holders out of the National Football League.

While black athletes generally make up more than 50% of all NFL players in any given year, the league has never had a full-time place kick holder of African descent.  The last African-American to hold more than five extra point or field goal tries in a season was Otis "Fingers" Butler of the Dallas Texans, the precursor to the AFC's Kansas City Chiefs.

Jesse Jackson met with reporters outside the conference room where the meeting was held and led a claque of supporters in chanting "I am somebody!  Set me free!  I wanna hold the P-A-T!"

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the last known defender of Eagles' wide receiver Terrell Owens, appeared at the conference and read a statement to reporters.  "I am here today seeking not only justice for place kick holders of color, but also relevance for myself," Specter said.  "Furthermore, if people think I was mean to Anita Hill, I'm really, really sorry."

Holding place kicks is generally considered one of the cushiest jobs in pro sports.  Holders must be paid the minimum salary under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, but are rarely in a game for more than seven plays and almost never touch members of the opposing team.

"The rules discourage any contact with holders," said Jason Ignitz, a special-teams player with the Baltimore Ravens.  "You get more skin from the check-out girl at Piggly Wiggly when she hands you your change."

Gerald Bucholtz, a professor at the Center for the Study of Sports and Trivial Social Issues at the University of Illinois-Kankakee says the NFL's white owners are subconsciously fearful that a black place kick holder would continue a funky post-touchdown celebration, or even steal the ball.  "Most of these fat cats never played anything rougher than two-hand-touch-below-the-waist, and  didn't get to be running back unless they brought the balls their daddies gave them.  A black place-kick holder is a threat to their dreams of true manhood." 

Copyright 2005, Con Chapman