8e844b23_ration_necessary_for_fair_play__regarding_professional_sports_4
[0] NFL–AFL Merger [1] 1966 [2] Congressional protection for football leagues to merge and set up a football cartel [3] The National Football League and American Football League sought approval to merge into one league, eliminating competition in professional football. [4] 
Congress approved the merger, largely because of popular interest for a unified league championship (the Super Bowl). Congress, however, later rejected a proposed merger between the National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association in 1971.
League cooperation necessary for fair play
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