Opinion ID: 1649985
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Are the agreements with the National Football League and the American Baseball League guarantees within the meaning of M.S. 473.581, Subd. 3(b)?

Text: The Statute reads: The commission had executed agreements with professional baseball and football major leagues which guarantee the continuance of franchises in the metropolitan area for the period of the agreements referred to in clause (a). By Resolution No. 79-67 the Council determined that the Commission had complied with the statute and the agreements with the leagues have been executed. The agreements with the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs and the National Football League are similar and both agreements refer to the requirements of 473.581, Subd. 3(a) and (b) and in compliance therewith guarantee the continuance of the franchise of the teams in the metropolitan area by promising and agreeing that they will not voluntarily approve the relocation of the league memberships if such relocation would be in violation of the Commission's lease agreements with the Vikings and Twins; further, the leagues agree if the teams' membership in the leagues are terminated, the leagues shall for a period of ninety days agree to the assignment of the lease agreements to a third party which will assume the team's obligations under the lease agreements. The agreements with the leagues do not require the leagues to perform the team's obligations under the lease agreements nor to obligate the leagues to create and provide owners to operate the teams in the stadium. The leagues will not honor any request by the teams for the transfer of the franchise to another city in violation of the terms of the lease agreement and neither the teams nor leagues may move the franchises to another city merely for the purpose of taking advantage of a more lucrative opportunity. The major leagues have agreed to honor the lease agreements and will not approve the transfers of the franchises if the transfer is in violation of the lease agreements. From all of the evidence in this case and a careful reading of the statute, the court is of the opinion that it is the legislative intent to prohibit the major leagues from arbitrarily or summarily transferring the franchises to another location and that the intent of the legislature has been respected by the Commission in its agreements with the major leagues. In the sense that the legislature uses the word guarantee, it is synonymous with the word warrant or promise. Meritt v. Haas, 113 Minn. 219, 129 N.W. 379 (1911), 18 Words & Phrases, Permanent Edition, Pages 643-646. It would be an absurdity to construe this statute to mean the legislature intended for the major leagues to guarantee to operate a team in the stadium for a period of thirty years. The key words in the statute are . . . guarantee the continuance of franchises in the metropolitan area for the period of the agreements. . .. The lease agreements specifically refer to this guarantee clause in the statute and in fulfillment thereof the leagues agree and promise (guarantee) that they will not permit the transfer of the franchises so long as the lease agreements with the Twins and Vikings are in effect and if the leases are terminated, the Commission shall have a right to secure other owners of the franchises. The agreements with the major leagues appear to be in reasonable contemplation and respect for the language of the statute.