Snoop Dogg said that he is “looking forward” to being part of a bid reportedly by Los Angeles-based businessman and film producer Neko Sparks, who would be the first Black owner of an NHL team Ottawa Senators.
“Amazing what @neko_sparks is trying to do in Ottawa [and] I’m looking forward to being apart of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY,” the “Doggyland” rapper wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (May 1).
According to the Ottawa Sun, Snoop has some competition. Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds was also reportedly linked to a bid that tops $1 billion for the Senators. The Canadian hockey team is estimated by Forbes to be worth $800 million, ranking them 24th out of the NHL’s 30 teams. Neither Sparks nor Reynolds have publicly confirmed their interest in buying the team.
According to research done by REVOLT, less than 5 percent of the league’s players are Black, and in its 106-year history, only one Black head coach has been hired. On top of that, Black fans make up approximately 6.5 percent of the sport’s regular viewers.