Editing Monopoly (section)

=== Professional sports ===

==== Baseball ====
In 1922, the [[Supreme Court of the United States|US Supreme Court]] ruled in [[Federal Baseball Club v. National League]] that baseball was not the kind of commerce intended to be affected by federal antitrust, thus making baseball exempt from antitrust laws.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Baade |first=R.A |date=2018 |title=The Curious Case of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption |journal=Journal of Sports Economics |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=438–455}}</ref> The Supreme Court maintained their original ruling in both 1953 and 1972 when the issue was brought up in court. As a legal monopoly, the MLB has not had any competition in the American market since the early 1960s, from the defunct [[Continental League]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hylton |first=J. Gordon |date=1999 |title=Why Baseball's Antitrust Exemption Still Survives |url=https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1430&context=sportslaw |journal=Marquette Sports Law Review |volume=9 |issue=2 |at=Article 11}}</ref>

==== American Football ====
After mergers in 1949 with the [[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]] and 1970 with the [[American Football League|AFL]], the [[National Football League]] was facing competition USFL following their successful first season in [[1983 USFL season|1983]]. The USFL initially operated as a spring league, beginning their season approximately one month after the NFL season had concluded and would finish the season approximately one month prior to the start of NFL preseason games. With an increasing popularity and ability to sign big names, such as the 1982-84 Heisman Trophy winners [[Herschel Walker]], [[Mike Rozier]] and [[Doug Flutie]], the [[New Jersey Generals]] owner [[Donald Trump]] persuaded other owners to move the season so it directly competed with the NFL's. At the same time an antitrust lawsuit was filed against the NFL as it convinced the [[Big Three (American television)|3 major American television channels]] against broadcasting any USFL games. The trial lasted 42 days and the jury found the NFL has indeed acted monopolistically and violated antitrust laws but as the NFL was not directly responsible for the financial difficulties of the league, the USFL was awarded $1 in damages, which was tripled to $3 due to it being an antitrust case. The USFL announced it would forego the 1986 altogether to appeal the decision; however, the league would fold within a week of the trial ending. The US Supreme Court would, four years later, allow the original ruling to stand and order the NFL to pay damages and to include interest, bringing the total to $3.76.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Rohan |first=Tim |date=12 July 2016 |title=Donald Trump and the USFL: A 'Beautiful' Circus |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/07/12/donald-trump-usfl-new-jersey-generals-owner |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> The NFL did previously survive an antitrust lawsuit in the 1960s.