Are public policies needed to level the playing field between cities and teams?

The owners of professional sports franchises, once minor players in the man ipulation of locational choices to receive subsidies, now routinely anticip ate substantial incentive packages from the public sector. Teams demand and receive subsidies because many communities want teams and the leagues dict ate the supply of franchises. Periodic disdain over there subsidies and res entment from communities that have lost teams has not produced public polic ies to balance the interests of team owners and cities. Ironically, the fed eral laws that have been passed have enhanced the economic power of the lea gues. This article explores the impact of the cartel structure of professio nal team sports and a justification for changing the existing laws. Two dif ferent strategies are discussed designed to end the sports subsidy: game an d thwart the incentives that convince some teams to move from one area to a nother.