In professional sports, a franchise player is an athlete who is both the best player on their team and one that the team can build their " franchise" around for the foreseeable future.
Overview
In the United States, outstanding players were referred to as "franchises" at least as far back as the 1950s. [1] By the 1970s, the concept of a "franchise" player who single-handedly generates success was commonly understood in the sporting trade. [2] [3] The term franchise player was in widespread use by the early 1980s to describe both star rookies like John Elway [4] and Kelvin Bryant [5] and veterans like George Brett. [6] While the term is primarily associated with North American sports, [1] [7] it is sometimes used in reference to athletes in sports outside the United States, such as rugby league. [8] [9]
See also
References
- ^ a b "franchise, n. I. 2. c. (b)" OED Online. June 2003. Oxford University Press. June 2010.
- ^ Denlinger, Ken (November 30, 1977). "King Albert No Franchise but a National Jewel: This Morning". The Washington Post. p. D1.
- ^ Denlinger, Ken (March 6, 1978). "Team Without a 'Franchise' Player Just Keeps Winning". The Washington Post. p. D5.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (18 April 1982). "John Elway Leaning Toward Football". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- ^ Wallace, William N. (11 July 1983). "Stars show their 1, 2 punch". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- ^ "Brett makes demands". The Globe and Mail. 4 November 1982.
- ^ "franchise". Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (2 March 2000). "Robbie seizing Bulls by the horns". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
- ^ Ridley, Ian (14 December 2003). "There's more to life than Europe". The Observer. Retrieved 19 July 2010.