In NFL, There’s Still a Freedom of Choice
Jim Murray (Feb. 14) perpetuates a dangerous falsehood--that the college football draft is tantamount to slavery.
A slave is someone who works at the point of a gun, with no choice on his part. In contrast, the NFL (like any employer) offers an economic value to prospective employees. It says, in effect: We will pay you a certain amount if you want to work for us under certain conditions (including a player draft). The football draftees are free to say no and pursue some other line of work.
Football players are no more enslaved because they “must” abide by the NFL draft than are the owners enslaved because they “must” secure the players’ agreement or have no team.
The only actual slavery involved is when the government interferes with the freedom of contract.
MICHAEL BERLINER
The Ayn Rand Institute, Executive Director
Marina del Rey
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