President Obama, Nationalize the NFL
March 12th, 2011 • Related • Filed Under
By jason330
Take the NFL away from the owners who are violating the public trust by abusing their monopoly position. Problem solved.
If you want to know all about the owners position read this column by ESPN’s Bill Simons.
Comment by phil on 12 March 2011 at 7:44 am:
Terrible idea. Let the NFL fail. There is a massive amount of money just sitting there. Something will take its place.
Comment by jason330 on 12 March 2011 at 8:39 am:
Break the monopoly. I don’t think we have the requisite intestinal fortitude to nationalize or let the NFL fail, but one can dream.
Comment by Liberal Elite on 12 March 2011 at 8:58 am:
I switched to watching real football (aka soccer). American football just isn’t all that great.
Comment by jason330 on 12 March 2011 at 9:08 am:
Change your name to “Liberal Effete” you latte drinking limey.
Comment by Liberal Elite on 12 March 2011 at 9:51 am:
Nope. No limey here. 100% American with eyes open.
You like what you want, and I’ll like what I want. Frankly, it wouldn’t bother me to see the entire NFL implode.
Comment by Publius on 12 March 2011 at 9:51 am:
What monopoly position????? Anyone is free to form a league to rival the NFL. Think USFL or that other disaster, the XFL, or whatever it was. Moreover, the NFL competes with any other number of entertainment companies/regimes. The whole notion that the NFL is a monopoly really just demonstrates a poor level of understanding economic theory.
Comment by Liberal Elite on 12 March 2011 at 10:07 am:
@Pubilius “Anyone is free to form a league to rival the NFL.”
Good point, but only partly true. The NFL is engaged politically, and has arranged a number of “special perks” (at taxpayer expense). Unless the competition has access to those same perks, then it IS a monopoly of sorts. Don’t blame the NFL for being greedy. Blame the politicians who play into this nonsense with our money and thus benefact special status on the NFL.
Comment by Geezer on 12 March 2011 at 10:21 am:
The antitrust problem relates to owners imposing a salary cap without an agreement from the players, not to a monopoly on football.
Publius, to say that football competes with other forms of entertainment shows you don’t know all that much about economic theory as it relates to labor. Football players have specialized skills, just like workers in many other fields. I realize your sort would throw all workers to the tender mercies of capitalists; fortunately for society, the rest of us outnumber your sort.
Comment by Liberal Elite on 12 March 2011 at 10:37 am:
@Geezer “Football players have specialized skills”
So what? Are those skills essential skills? Entertainment dollars go to people with all sorts of skills.
If the players want to play hardball, they should just form the PFL (Players Football League). Do they really need the owners?
Comment by MJ on 12 March 2011 at 11:45 am:
Australian Rules Football for me. And the Irish sport of Hurling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurling).
Comment by skippertee on 12 March 2011 at 11:58 am:
We Irish are spectacular Hurlers!
Why, even at my advanced age [for the sport], I still put up stunning numbers in the projectile vomiting category.
Comment by Avagadro on 13 March 2011 at 3:46 pm:
The NFL is simply the highest bidder for those “specialized skills” other competing bidders are the WWF, Cage Fighting, and furniture moving companies.
Comment by Geezer on 13 March 2011 at 8:55 pm:
LE: Goodness no. My point was that if owners collude to limit salaries (aka a “salary cap”) it could be ruled a violation of antitrust law.
I’m against the entire concept of a salary cap. IMO the owners will be entitled to dictate their cut of the profits on the day that ticket purchasers show up to watch owners, rather than players, do their jobs.