[Alberta's Child]

A bunch of men create an organization. I want to play in that organization. They set up rules in their organization by which they take turns on who gets to pick me first. How is that not free market?

In any other industry, this would be considered illegal collusion among separate business owners. If all the law firms in the U.S. got together and set up a salary scale through the American Bar Association that fixed salaries for law school graduates, the whole arrangement would be deemed illegal and the penalties imposed by the U.S. government would destroy much of the industry.

That's really the basis of what makes pro sports leagues monopolies by definition. On the one hand the NFL is comprised of 32 independently-owned companies, but they function as a cartel and conduct business in ways that would be illegal in any other industry.

[Lord Casselreagh]

Wrong. They are ONE org, with FRANCHISES, like 7-11.

I do not get to set up a 7-11 on my own.

I must go through corporate and follow their rules.

If you own a football team, and you want to join the NFL, you are joining a single ORG that shares profits and has a boss.