Free trade football

Loosening protectionist rules has the sort of effects that the average reader of economics may not be able to forsee. For example, the Canadian Football League's decision to allow another import player on CFL rosters will probably lead, this story notes, to the end of the Canadian kicker/punter. There are just so many good American punters in U.S. colleges that CFL General Managers can turn to one of them instead of developing and training a Canadian kicker. That will mean the end of another Canadian Lui Passaglia or a Bob Cameron lasting for many years in the league, for better or ill.