Drew Brees

Drew Brees offered a lengthy and well-written opinion on Sunday for the Washington Post concerning the current NFL anti-trust case that will likely be before the Supreme Court as you read this.  The lawsuit in question concerns a 2000 decision by the NFL to award Reebok an exclusive merchandise deal for all NFL apparel – a move that left plaintiff American Needle Inc. out in the cold.  But as Brees states, this is far more than just a case of sour grapes.  At the center of the issue is whether the NFL is made up of 32 competing businesses (the individual teams), or as one collective business (the NFL)  that can act together without violating anti-trust laws.  Of course, any matter pertaining to the 1961 Anti-Trust exemption for the NFL has far-reaching implications on professional sports.  A good reason why the NBA and NHL have both filed Friend of the Court briefs to back up their more profitable big brother.  While some would have you believe that this case isn’t such a big deal, I believe the legal precedent set by the high court will be a basis for many business decisions made by the NFL in the coming years, especially in regards to the current renegotiation of the NFL player CBA, which expires in 2012.