Antitrust Policy and Professional Sports
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Authors
Nolan, Shane
Issue Date
2008
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
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Abstract
From an early age, I've always had an immense interest in the law, particularly the
profession of an attorney. From an even earlier age, I've been an avid fan and participant of the
sporting world. While doing my externship this summer at Lewis, Reed, and Allen, P .C., a law
firm in downtown Kalamazoo, MI, I found a connection between my two passions-antitrust
law, especially as it relates to labor issues in the professional sports industry. Unquestionably,
the business of professional sports is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the
United States, and similar to any other industry, it is subject to the scrutiny of the law, most
notably antitrust law as it seeks to promote commerce and prevent monopolistic behavior by big
business in general. The Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the Norris-LaGuardia Act are all
specific examples of federal laws designed to prevent anti-competitive behavior, and such acts are
effective in the sports business. In this paper, I will provide a detailed study of how labor issues
have significantly affected sports and how courts have made use of antitrust policies to solve the
resulting dilemmas, particularly those involving negotiations between players associations and
owners. A look at the history of the application of antitrust laws in the professional sports
industry provides a good summary for one to apprec'iate the development of professional sports
over time.
Description
26 p.
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