FIVE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
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The “Big Four” professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) all possess drafts, anti-trust exemptions and revenue sharing. If the teams within these leagues were truly independent entities, none of this would exist as it flies in the face of the free market companies they purport to be.
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While we call these leagues “sports,” they are in fact businesses. Their business is entertainment. The NFL has actually argued this fact before the Supreme Court as recently as 2010. Being “entertainment,” the leagues are legally entitled to do what is needed to entertain their audience, such as the creation and promotion of certain “storylines.” Despite arguments to the contrary, this makes the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL on par with Roller Derby and Professional Wrestling.
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The ticket you purchase to a sporting event reflects this notion of sports being simply entertainment. The “Spygate” lawsuit proves this. In this lawsuit, a New York Jets fan sued the New England Patriots for illegally (by NFL rules) videotaping their opponents’ coaching signals. The lawsuit asked for the Jets ticket holders’ money back in 10 years worth of games – the duration of the Patriots “cheating” via this videotaping. The suit FAILED.
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There is no law preventing a league from fixing its own contest. The two closest federal laws on the books are the Quiz Show law, which regulates INTELLECTUAL contests, and the Sports Bribery Act of 1964 which does not apply because no “bribery” is involved. The league instructs its EMPLOYEES as to the desired outcome. No one has been arrested for violating the Sports Bribery Act in relation to a professional sporting event – not ever.
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It is legal for the media to lie to us all. Not just in the realm of sports, but in every aspect of journalism and mass media.
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With all of this being true, what then is preventing a league – or all of the leagues – from fixing the outcomes of their own games to maximize profit and revenue which is the very reason why they put on these exhibitions?The short answer is obvious: Nothing.