http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/003059.html

 

Earlier this month, Soros joined an ownership bid being led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky. Their group is one of more than a half-dozen angling to take over the Nats, who are currently owned by Major League Baseball.

 

In addition to being a well-known currency speculator and philanthropist, Soros is also known in political circles for having pumped more than $20 million in the last cycle into groups seeking to unseat President Bush and elect Democrats.

 

While the Soros-Ledecky group is not seen as the frontrunner to win the bidding for the Nationals, who should be awarded to their new owner at the end of the 2005 season, the very prospect that Soros could have a stake in the team is enough to irritate Congressional Republicans.

 

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," said Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis ®, the Northern Virginia lawmaker who recently convened high-profile steroid hearings. "I don't think they want to get involved in a political fight."

 

Davis, whose panel also oversees District of Columbia issues, said that if a Soros sale went through, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions" from anti-trust laws.

http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/003059.html

Davis, whose panel also oversees District of Columbia issues, said that if a Soros sale went through, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions" from anti-trust laws.

 

 

That is the only paragraph that matters in here. Its the only reason baseball got off of their collective asses about drug testing... they were afraid if Congress got involved they could lose their antitrust exemptions, which right now are causing more harm than good IMO.

That is the only paragraph that matters in here.  Its the only reason baseball got off of their collective asses about drug testing... they were afraid if Congress got involved they could lose their antitrust exemptions, which right now are causing more harm than good IMO.

 

 

Sorry to sound retarded, but anti-trust exemptions?

Sorry to sound retarded, but anti-trust exemptions?

Baseball has an exemption built into this nation's laws that no other sport has...they are by law exempted from anti-trust laws that regulate interstate commerce.

 

What this does is basically give MLB the ability to keep control over their franchises. The biggest example I can give is something like the Oakland Raiders...when Al Davis wanted to move that team, he moved it even without the NFL's permission...the NFL can't regulate it because of anti-trust laws. Because of Baseball's exemption, they have control over their teams.

 

Every time Baseball does something Congress doesn't like (1994 strike, steroids)...removing the anti-trust exemption comes up as a threat from Congress to get MLB to go along with whatever Congress wants. Baseball usually caves.

I think the important thing everyone should note here is that there is also a group put together by folks like Colin Powell and ex-Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald that for some reason, it seems the Republicans in Congress have no problem with.

 

In other words, the problem is not that it's a guy who's been involved in politics putting in the bid, it's that a guy who has supported the Democrats is involved in a bid. For shame...how dare those Democrat supporters do anything.

 

Peter Fitzgerald and Colin Powell's bid should win just because they're Republicans and they deserve our worship.

Baseball has an exemption built into this nation's laws that no other sport has...they are by law exempted from anti-trust laws that regulate interstate commerce.

 

What this does is basically give MLB the ability to keep control over their franchises.  The biggest example I can give is something like the Oakland Raiders...when Al Davis wanted to move that team, he moved it even without the NFL's permission...the NFL can't regulate it because of anti-trust laws.  Because of Baseball's exemption, they have control over their teams.

 

Every time Baseball does something Congress doesn't like (1994 strike, steroids)...removing the anti-trust exemption comes up as a threat from Congress to get MLB to go along with whatever Congress wants.  Baseball usually caves.

One small detail here -- the anti-trust exemption is not really "built into...laws", it's due to a bad Supreme Court decision in the 1920s. (So, a bad interpretation of the laws rather than bad laws.) That's why other leagues do not have the same exemption. The ruling only applied to baseball, and judges have let that judgement stand (stare decisis) for baseball, while applying the law correctly to other sports. (Davis's suit against the NFL, for example.) Because the exemption is based on an interpretation of legislation (rather than interpretation of the Constitution, say), Congress could pass a law simply saying that the anti-trust laws should apply to baseball and ka-pow, bye bye exemption.