Professional Sports And Antitrust

Experienced attorney and sports enthusiast Freedman provides a comprehensive and extremely informative discussion of the antitrust legislation that affects professional sports--now undeniably a major business in the United States. In addition to thorough coverage of such legal aspects of professional sports as exemption and non-exemption from antitrust laws, anti-competitive practices, restraints of trade, and state regulation, Freedman also provides relevant case law and supporting decisions throughout. Following an introductory section outlining the history of professional sports law and an overview of legal relationships in professional sports, Freedman traces the experience of each of the major sports--baseball, football, basketball, hockey, boxing, wrestling, tennis, golf, and soccer--as pertains to antitrust laws. He offers an incisive analysis of monopolistic aspects of professional sports and other anti-competitive practices against the professional athlete and also examines state regulations and tort and contract liability in professional sports. He concludes with a chapter on the relationship between professional sports and First Amendment freedom of expression.

Considers legislation to exempt professional sports from antitrust laws.

Considers S. 950, to include baseball under antitrust law covering professional sports, and to exempt all professional sports teams from certain employment and geographic antitrust regulations. S. 950 was introduced in response to CBS' acquisition of New York Yankees.

Considers legislation to provide antitrust law exemptions for professional baseball, football, basketball, and hockey organizations.