The Clippers’ antitrust case will go to...

The Clippers’ antitrust case will go to trial in San Diego to be weighed on its own merits, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ordered Tuesday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court ruled that antitrust issues raised in the Raiders’ antitrust suit do not apply across the board to all professional sports.

In the Raiders’ case, the National Football League franchise won its antitrust case against the NFL over the league’s attempt to block the team’s move from Oakland to Los Angeles.

A federal court in San Diego took the Raider decision to be the rule for all franchise movements and dismissed a case April 28, 1986, filed by the National Basketball Assn. seeking to block the Clippers’ move from San Diego to Los Angeles.

The appeals court ruled that the successful arguments of the Raiders do not necessarily apply to the Clippers.

San Francisco attorney Wayne L. Liao, who represented the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission--which runs the Los Angeles Sports Arena--said, “We certainly did not suspect this kind of ruling from the appeals court after their actions in the Raiders’ case.”

NBA Counsel Gary Bettman said, “We are obviously pleased by this result and look forward to a prompt trial on the merits (of the case).”