Johnny Cochran Seeks to Break Up NASCAR

FARK News Tip Service ^ | Week of May 5, 2002 | Drew Curtis

[codebreaker]

High profile attorney Johnny Cochran is taking on NASCAR, claiming the sanctioning body has a monopoly over stock car racing.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that a federal lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Sherman, Texas on Feb. 13 on behalf of the shareholders of Speedway Motorsports Inc. the parent company of Texas Motor Speedway.

The suit claims that NASCAR is a monopoly entity by oening both the governing body and by having controlling interest in International Speedway Corp. the company that owns 13 major auto tracks.

That (breaking up NASCAR/ISC) is the loigcal end result, and we have legal counsel to do it,' Cochran told the paper.

'In addition, we have the resolve.'

[codebreaker]

I wonder if he has ever been to race?

[Utopia]

This doesn't make any sense. Is going to break up the F1A (Formula One) next? Why stop with motor sports? How about the NBA, the NFL ...

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know.

[savedbygrace]

So he really IS playing the race card this time, huh?

[Puppage]

Might as well steal fast cars....

[jimtorr]

NASCAR a monopoly? What a joke. There are so many racing leagues, I can get lost going from one race to another to another on cable TV. There's CART, IRL, SCCA,.......Formula One (now there's a real monopoly), there's a bunch of international rallying stuff.

Johnny Cochran has a monopoly on dumb, greedy lawsuits. Unfortunatly, he gets paid whether he wins or loses.

[Hitlerys uterus]

If the regular Joe didn't hate him before this for getting OJ off the hook, he's going to be despised like few men in history for messin with stock car racing.

[jimtorr]

Oh, I almost forgot the Hooters Pro Cup organization.

[Alberta's Child]

I actually think he's got a point here. When you have a powerful governing body in a sport that retains control of television contracts, rules of the sport, and advertising, and also owns a substantial number of the facilities that are involved, the potential for abuse is enormous.

Did you notice how the "investigation" of the Dale Earnhardt crash was conducted by NASCAR itself? Any potential problems with vehicle safety, track design, etc. will never be made public.

[chiefqc]

I see that Jonny Cockroach crawled out of the sewer to sue someone again.

[ladtx]

Johnny Cochran, the new incarnation of the ambulance chaser. (And his side-kick J. Jackson.)

[JennysCool]

How about the NBA, the NFL ...

Probably next on Johnny's list. "If it has deep pocket, it's on the docket."

[Alberta's Child]

There are two different kinds of monopolies -- the one you are describing is a horizontal monopoly, in which one person or company controls almost an entire industry.

What Cochran is complaining about is a vertical monopoly, in which the industry may have multiple competitors but in one or more cases a person or company controls multiple steps in the "production process."

If Exxon controlled 90% of the oil production market, this would be a horizontal monopoly. If they only controlled 5% of the oil production market but also had interests in oil exploration, distribution, retail sales, etc., then this would be a vertical monopoly.

[Wolfie]

Oh, I almost forgot the Hooters Pro Cup organization.

Oh yeah, the DD Cup division is the best.

[Alberta's Child]

If the NBA and the NFL owned the facilities in which the events were played, they could be targeted in a similar manner.

[gunnedah]

This is your typical Democrat lawyer.This is where the Clintons and the Democrats have taken us through the ABA leadership.Hang in there America we all are going to become a lawyer or government employee eventually.

[SheLion]

You've got to be KIDDING me!!!

[Bikers4Bush]

Johnny must think he's bullet proof because there is no doubt whatsoever that someone is going to start shooting at him over this.

[Boxsford]

Wow, I didn't know there was a 'black conservative' ping list. Weird. Shouldn't we all care?

[kaboom]

Johnny Cochran may be the lawyer on this one, but he's not the one looking to break up NASCAR. The shareholders of Speedway Motorsports are seeking to break up NASCAR because they are greedy and want more races at their racetrack.
NASCAR has simply come up with a highly marketable form of entertainment, offered it to Speedway Motorsports, and it turn SM has requested more and been denied. The racing season is long enough already

P.S. Texas Motor Speedway is also an extremely dangerous track which makes it less attractive to other racing organizations.