For most of this century, cities only replaced stadiums when the facilities became structurally obsolete. Recently, however, owners are deserting perfectly sound structures on the alleged grounds that they are economically obsolete. The betrayal of Cleveland touches a raw nerve not just in Northern Ohio, but all over America. John Moag, Jr., Chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, offers a different perspective. Municipal Authorities 4.
Many approaches are available to stop the bidding war.
Gary Roberts of Tulane Law School supports the leagues' request for a limited antitrust exemption for decisions relating to franchise location or relocation. But that is an incomplete solution, because the leagues themselves have inappropriate power in many markets. The salaries that players and coaches command, the subsidies that teams can extract from local communities, and even the street value of a Super Bowl ticket all suggest that leagues exercise tremendous and arguably monopoly market power in several markets. Stephen F. Ross of the University of Illinois contends that major sports leagues are not natural monopolies. Time has shown that Act to be a mistake that should be corrected by Congress.