NFL, Eagles Violated Antitrust Laws?

It seems that United States Senator Arlen Specter - old white guy, Eagles fan - might think so. From an ESPN article I was tipped-off:

Meanwhile, Sen. Arlen Specter, who is white, popped off about the possibility of a Senate investigation into possible antitrust violations relative to the Owens/Eagles case. Then Specter backpedaled faster than Brian Dawkins, who is black, settling into Cover Two coverage.

Sure enough - a little search pulled up some details:

Amy Worden and Larry Eichel of the Philadelphia Inquirer examine Senator Arlen Specter's remarks yesterday that the Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee may soon investigate whether the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles have committed an illegal restraint of trade by prohibiting Owens from playing and banning other teams from speaking with him. (Worden & Eichel, "Sparks from Specter in the T.O. Case," Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 29, 2005). This is not an idle threat, as Senator Specter is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he is also a diehard Eagles fan. So when he calls the Eagles' actions "vindicative and inappropriate," Eagles ownership and management likely pay attention.

I'm not sure why anyone has been willing to stand up for the NFL or the Eagles - that doesn't really compute for me. How you gonna take the side of the NFL vs. a single man? Where's the love?