The NFL may be the most powerful sports league in America, but the people in the league office found they are not immune from the politics in Washington. And, unfortunately, the NFL did what it had to do and back the GOP.
Both the White House and two GOP Senators sent letters last week to the NFL office concerning The Affordable HealthCare Act. Obviously, the White House sent the letter to try to get all NFL teams to get the word out in their organizations, while the GOP Senators sent a letter advising the NFL to stay completely out of the Act. So why was that letter a threat? Simply, it's Congress that has the say whether the NFL is breaking anti-trust laws. So, in effect, the letter, whether the threat was implied or not, was telling the NFL that they would watch and see what actions the league would take. Think the NFL didn't know that when they decided to take no action to tell teams about the Act? Think of it this way: Your boss' boss' boss says that he'd like you to look at an idea of his and tell him if you like it or not. Then your boss comes back and says you better not like that idea. I won't tell you who can make your life here a living hell, but I better not find that the idea has your approval. Which way would you go on the idea? Probably the same way the NFL
did, saying to the big man, thanks for the information, but I don't think it works for me. Now, everyone is okay with your decision, or at least accept it. Everyone except the people that could have been helped with the idea to start with.
The NFL got two letters about The Affordable HealthCare Act, the first from the White House asking for help and advising the league on how the Act works, and the second from 2 GOP Senators telling the NFL that they better not act on the first letter. So tell me, which branch of the government was advising and which one was bullying?
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