The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on what could be a landmark antitrust case involving the National Football League, but the case is adding an unusual twist to a messy lobbying battle.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have been working Capitol Hill for months over their contentious labor dispute, beefing up both their lobbying budgets and rosters of outside shops. The case, American Needle v. National Football League, though technically about merchandising, has become another issue for the union to raise, with the players’ association arguing publicly and on the Hill that a broad decision in favor of the NFL could have serious repercussions for labor.
