Supreme Court rules that NFL is 32 teams and is not single business

"Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned," said the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for an unanimous court.

American Needle, Inc. sued, claiming the league violated antitrust law because all 32 teams worked together to freeze it out of the NFL-licensed hatmaking business and gave Reebok an exclusive 10-year license.

Major League Baseball is the only professional sports league with broad antitrust protection under laws passed by Congress. The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the NCAA, NASCAR, professional tennis and Major League Soccer supported the NFL in this case, hoping the high court would expand broad antitrust exemption to other sports. That was highly unlikely and unrealistic.

The National Football League Player Association praised the court's decision. NFLPA lawyer Richard Berthelsen said the decision "affirms our belief that the NFL should not be allowed to operate as a monopoly to the detriment of fans, players and the government."

_________ Opinion Below: If you have a different Opinion that is cool. ____________

The Supreme Court made the correct ruling in this case. Besides the clear legal basis of the ruling, the ruling was important to protect the NFL from the corruption that is inherent in any monopoly that increases cost and inefficiencies in the marketplace. The exclusive 10 year deal that the NFL attempted to deliver to Reebok made no sense.

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