Sports Fans Coalition (“SFC”) filed a brief today in support of the NFL players with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. SFC in its filing says that sports litigation is not simply a fight between rich players and richer owners but that the interests of the sports fans are being ignored.
SFC says ending the lockout is essential to further the public interest in preventing irreparable harm to sports fans.
In today’s filing SFC wrote, “Sports fans have a vital interest in ensuring that the Sherman Act, which is Congress’ chosen “consumer welfare prescription,” is enforced as intended to protect consumers from the disruptive, anticompetitive, and irreparable harm that will occur. Whether the owners’ boycott lowers the quality of the 2011 season by preventing fans’ favorite clubs from integrating new talent during this summer, or disrupts or even eliminates the season if the boycott fails to achieve the desired concessions from players, injunctive relief is essential to sports fans.”
The subject of court jurisdiction has been debated throughout the lockout litigation and SFC argued in its brief that the court should not expand the interpretation of the existing labor laws to avoid antitrust law violations. It added that where workers do not want to be unionized, there is no reason for fans to be forced to accept collective bargaining over free competition.
SFC says it is a non-profit advocacy organization with thousands of members nationwide, created to provide consumers of American sports a public policy advocacy group. It claims a well-heeled board of directors comprised of former aides to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, along with leaders from journalism, business, and public interest advocacy.
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