Case anything but 'super'
William Koester
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Opinion
With all the media attention surrounding the Super Bowl, many people don't know that the NFL is currently involved in a Supreme Court case. But this case could have far-reaching effects on the world of professional sports.
The case began when the NFL signed a licensing agreement with Reebok, making them the only company that can distribute official NFL merchandise. A smaller company, American Needle, filed an antitrust suit against the NFL, claiming that 32 teams signed to one company is a monopoly.
The NFL, however, asserts that they are one single entity, not 32 individual teams. They're just one company competing with other forms of entertainment.
The case American Needle v. NFL goes before the Supreme Court later this year. If the Court rules in the NFL's favor, the league will have unprecedented power over all operations of every team. The ruling will also apply to the NHL, MLB, and NBA, effectively making each pro league an all-powerful cartel in its sport.
Under such a ruling, the league offices, not the individual teams, will control the prices of tickets, merchandise, TV contracts, and everything else imaginable. So tickets and jerseys that already cost way too much could end up even more expensive.
For example, the Detroit Tigers have been lowering ticket prices to make games more affordable for residents hit hard by the city's tough times. If the Court rules in the NFL's favor, Major League Baseball could decide the team is not charging enough and force them to raise prices, recession-weary fans be damned.
The leagues would also have control over which teams players can go to. Free agency would likely disappear, as players will only be negotiating with one league instead of several teams.
Such a thing would be bad for sports, as free agency adds a good element of competition between teams. If it disappears, the league could possibly use its newfound power to influence which teams do well. Less power to the players could also very well lead to strikes throughout all professional leagues, stopping play altogether.
So will the Supreme Court rule in favor of the NFL? It's hard to say. Whether it does or not, though, the advent of this lawsuit is just the latest part of an unfortunate trend: that professional sports are becoming something out of reach for most fans.
It's too bad that tickets to games have gotten to be so expensive that only high rollers and companies can get them, while a working man who really loves sports can barely afford to take his kids to a game. Even if the Court rules against the NFL, the future does not look bright for the common fan.
The case began when the NFL signed a licensing agreement with Reebok, making them the only company that can distribute official NFL merchandise. A smaller company, American Needle, filed an antitrust suit against the NFL, claiming that 32 teams signed to one company is a monopoly.
The NFL, however, asserts that they are one single entity, not 32 individual teams. They're just one company competing with other forms of entertainment.
The case American Needle v. NFL goes before the Supreme Court later this year. If the Court rules in the NFL's favor, the league will have unprecedented power over all operations of every team. The ruling will also apply to the NHL, MLB, and NBA, effectively making each pro league an all-powerful cartel in its sport.
Under such a ruling, the league offices, not the individual teams, will control the prices of tickets, merchandise, TV contracts, and everything else imaginable. So tickets and jerseys that already cost way too much could end up even more expensive.
For example, the Detroit Tigers have been lowering ticket prices to make games more affordable for residents hit hard by the city's tough times. If the Court rules in the NFL's favor, Major League Baseball could decide the team is not charging enough and force them to raise prices, recession-weary fans be damned.
The leagues would also have control over which teams players can go to. Free agency would likely disappear, as players will only be negotiating with one league instead of several teams.
Such a thing would be bad for sports, as free agency adds a good element of competition between teams. If it disappears, the league could possibly use its newfound power to influence which teams do well. Less power to the players could also very well lead to strikes throughout all professional leagues, stopping play altogether.
So will the Supreme Court rule in favor of the NFL? It's hard to say. Whether it does or not, though, the advent of this lawsuit is just the latest part of an unfortunate trend: that professional sports are becoming something out of reach for most fans.
It's too bad that tickets to games have gotten to be so expensive that only high rollers and companies can get them, while a working man who really loves sports can barely afford to take his kids to a game. Even if the Court rules against the NFL, the future does not look bright for the common fan.
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