The U. S. Supreme Court has just scheduled oral argument for January 13th in the case
of American Needle, Inc. v. NFL. The court will be deciding whether the NFL is a "single entity" organization and therefore exempt from Sec. 1 of the Sherman Act. The decision has the potential to transform the business of professional sports and is widely considered to be the most significant sports law case in recent memory.
The SCOTUS Wiki provides merit and amicus briefs as well as pre-argument articles. For additional commentary and analysis, including opposing points of view on the potential ramifications of the court’s decision, see the following:
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Why the "Single Entity" Defense Can Never Apply to NFL Clubs: A Primer on Property Rights Theory in Professional Sports by Marc Edelman, Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal (2008)
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American Needle v. NFL: An Opportunity to Reshape Sports Law by Michael McCann, Yale Law Journal (2009)
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Antitrust Case Could Be Armageddon by Lester Munson, ESPN.com (2009)
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The (Un)Importance of American Needle by Jeffrey Standen, The Sports Law Professor (2009)
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The Puzzling Persistence of the Single Entity Argument for Sports Leagues: American Needle and the Supreme Court’s Opportunity to Reject a Flawed Defense by Gabe Feldman, Wisconsin Law Review (2009)






