Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL case brief

Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL case brief summary
720 F.2d 772 (1983)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Plaintiffs, a joint venture and its members, sought review of a summary judgment of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which was entered in favor of defendants, a football league and its members, in an action for damages under the Clayton Act and the Sherman Act.

CASE FACTS
Plaintiffs applied for a professional football franchise. Defendant football league denied the expansion franchise. Arguing that they were fully qualified for entry into the league, plaintiffs filed suit, claiming antitrust violations. The district court rendered summary judgment to defendants.

DISCUSSION
The court affirmed because the league was not required under the Sherman Act,15 U.S.C.S. § 1 et seq., to permit entry by any qualified applicant. Plaintiffs did not succeed on their § 1 of the Sherman Act claim because they did not show actual or potential injury to competition resulting from the rejection of their application for a professional football franchise. The same analysis of the § 1 of the Sherman Act claim applied equally to plaintiffs'§ 2 of the Sherman Act claim.

CONCLUSION

The court affirmed because the league was not required to permit entry by any qualified applicant.

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