ABSTRACT
Professional sports leagues are ubiquitous and complex, created as a governance mechanism for a group of competitive teams in a given sport. As multi-billion dollar industries, the leagues govern their sports and create an organizational decision making structure, providing governance on issues as varied as player and owner discipline, revenue control and expansion and relocation of league franchises. Because of the importance of these issues, a working knowledge of the structure and power of professional sports organizations is imperative for any journalist covering this industry.
