The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Antitrust attorney D. Bruce Hoffman

We're going in a slightly different direction with today's podcast. With the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit opening in Minnesota district court today, we thought it was time to talk with someone who could navigate the weightier legal issues of the case in a much more comprehensive fashion than the collection of footballheads whose work you usually read here.

To that end, we called on D. Bruce Hoffman, the head of the Global Competition practice at the prestigious Hunton & Williams firm. Mr. Hoffman has represented numerous major corporations in consumer protection and antitrust cases, and he was kind enough to walk us through what antitrust really means, and what it has to do with whether we'll actually be able to enjoy a football season in 2011.

Among the topics covered:

-- The real meaning of antitrust, and what it means to sports and sports fans;

-- How the American Needle ruling relates to this case;

-- What the players need to do to prove "Irreparable financial harm";

-- Whether the owners have a legitimate case when they claim that the NFLPA's decertification was a sham;

-- What the actual process in the courtroom will look like, and what could happen today; and

-- What the long-term ramifications of today's statements and rulings could be. Could the lockout actually be lifted today?

If you have an interest in the legal details of the NFL's current labor war (and yes, we understand that some of you do not), this is an essential 30-minute podcast that will give you a better sense of what's really going on (and what will happen down the road) in an overall perspective.

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: D. Bruce Hoffman (.mp3; 26.6 MB; 29:05)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Shutdown-Corner-Podcast-Antitrust-attorney-?urn=nfl-wp797

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