Football fans are being taken for a ride by the NFL the DOJ could stop that

Nobody should be surprised that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into the NFL’s antitrust exemption — but it’s far from clear how this game will end.For the record, I’m not a big fan of the NFL’s business model.Among the aspects I find loathsome (its embrace of gambling is at the top of the list) is its nifty little exemption from antitrust laws that allows it to collectively bargain on behalf of its teams with broadcasters vying to air the nation’s most popular sport.The league cranks out $23 billion annually in revenue business; it’s worth around $228 billion.

It shouldn’t have to rely on any government subsidy, particularly as it uses its muscle to squeeze every last dollar out of its various deals with networks, advertisers or anything else that touches its vaunted “shield.”Even worse, its clout goes beyond the game or simply chasing money.Channeling progressive agitprop during halftime shows has become the norm.

So has its embrace of the destructive habit of gambling that turns sports fans into addicts glued to their screens as they bet on every last angle of the game.Put all that together and you’re just asking for scrutiny.The investigation was sparked by US Sen.

Mike Lee (R-Utah), who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on antitrust.Last month, he wrote federal regulators imploring them to take a look at the NFL’s antitrust perk.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr followed up with his own missive.Both made their points: The antitrust exemption — created by Congress via something known as the Sports Broadcasting Act way back in 1961 — allows the league to sell TV rights as lucrative package deals to networks airing games on free, ad-supported TV.It now seems like an anachronism.Who in 1961 envisioned streaming, which seems to be carrying more games every year? “Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premiu...