The free market is a concept that many find hard to understand. Those who have a negative attitude towards it see it as an inhumane machine of money-making and profit-obsession. Others see it as a venue for free people to exchange ideas, products and services according to the taste and wantings of each individual and/or his companies. Some see it as an instrument of evil where the weak and the unfortunate get crushed in a ruthless competition of the few and strong. Others see it as the best instrument ever to have existed where everyone can be successful and find happiness on his or her own terms (a very pragmatic view and not a justification for the free market as such, but a useful one in the often very pragmatic-oriented debate).
This author belongs to the more positive team and has a hard time figuring out why the typical anti-free marketer (or anti-capitalist) can enjoy a game of football but have a negative view of the free market. Sports are all about competition and the will to succeed. No-one wants Tiger Woods to be chained down by anti-trust laws (competition laws) just because he wins 10 tournaments in a row. No-one suggested that Venus Williams should be fined for, at that time, having a seemingly unbeatable edge over her opponents. Maria Sharapova has, so far, not been accused of playing unfairly just because she's a stunning beauty and a good athlete.
When it comes to sports it seems everyone understands that those who stand out are not inflicting harm upon anyone else, but simply raising the standard so others can follow. When it comes to the free market the attitude is often reversed and those who stand out, win the public or stay number one for a certain period of time are considered cheaters and bullies which have to be punished with existing laws or new ones.
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