We don't talk too much about sports law here, but here's an interesting story. It turns out that a young lawyer who practices in Barre, Andrew Delaney, is the intellectual inspiration behind a move in Congress that we can all support: a change in the law that would strip the NFL and other major sports leagues of their nonprofit status.
Yes, you read that right: the National Football League, that pays its commissioner $11.6 million a year and has revenues of $10 billion a year, is a nonprofit.
As reported in the Newark Star-Ledger, the proposal, the first socially useful bill or amendment ever sponsored by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, would be called the Property Reducing Overexceptions for Sports Act (PRO Sports Act).
The bill was inspired by a law review article that Delaney, who has been practicing law in Vermont since 2010, wrote for a brand-new law journal on sports and entertainment law. I haven't met him personally, although I know the firm, Martin & Associates, for many years. Still, if his new legislative idea goes anywhere he will have made quite an impression for a new lawyer.
One can only wonder if the new law, if passed, will apply to the equally overstuffed but infinitely more corrupt sports cartel, the NCAA.
cabal may be closer to the functional intention of the NCAA. Recently the Autocrat that sits at the head decided to look the other way on some fairly serious sports programs, while seeking to nuke programs that have done some pretty good academic work while still winning at the sports end of things-making up the rules as he went along. There is a crap load of money that could go into education that ends up in the hands of these self appointed moral misfits.
The fact that the NFL can leverage billions of dollars in local taxbonds to get the great palaces built that they then suck every available dollar back into their pockets while stiffing the local taxpayer is amazing. IF the idea of a non profit is something that provides some sort of redeeming public service, neither of these groups reach that threshold, and demonstrate the real need for a fair tax system (not to be confused by a FLAT tax, which is just Steve Forbes getting orgasmic )
…the idea! Lands Sakes! That’s the same as taxing the Rich. What country is this? Ruussia?
I love it that, as you mentioned, most Americans don’t know about the non-profit status of pro sports. An ‘outreach service’ provided by the Wealthy to entertain us while they rip us off. Imagine the tax revenues! Holy Sheepshit! Imagine the scenarios: “The World Series will not be played this year, or in subsequent years, until back taxes are paid. Sorry, folks.” Nah. Before that happens, major corporations will get non-profit status.
And in related news, in 40 of the 50 states, the highest paid state employee is a coach.
Mostly they are football or basketball coaches, although neighboring New Hampshire carries the distinction of having a hockey coach as its highest paid state employee. And Minnesota seems to have scored a tie between the basketball and football coaches.
In the other 10 states, including Vermont, the highest paid state employee is a college president or dean (although in one state, Nevada, it’s the medical school’s plastic surgeon taking home the big bucks).
Somehow I am not surprised that none of the non-coach big-bucks-receiving people are in states south of the Mason Dixon Line. And, yeah, okay, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and a bunch of other northern states are also seeing coaches as the most expensive commodity.
So, I guess the states are putting their money where their priorities are.
NanuqFC
Duas tantem res anxius optat,
Panem et Circenses.
Two things only the people anxiously desire,
bread and the Circus games.
~ Juvenal (b. 40 C.E, d. 120 C.E.)