Franchise player

Overview

In the United States, outstanding players were referred to as "franchises" at least as far back as the 1950s. By the 1970s, the concept of a "franchise" player who single-handedly generates success was commonly understood in the sporting trade. The term franchise player was in widespread use by the early 1980s to describe both star rookies like John Elway and Kelvin Bryant and veterans like George Brett. While the term is primarily associated with North American sports, it is sometimes used in reference to athletes in sports outside the United States, such as rugby league.

References

References

1. "franchise, n. I. 2. c. (b)" [[OED Online]]. June 2003. [[Oxford University Press]]. June 2010.
2. Denlinger, Ken. (November 30, 1977). "King Albert No Franchise but a National Jewel: This Morning". The Washington Post.
3. Denlinger, Ken. (March 6, 1978). "Team Without a 'Franchise' Player Just Keeps Winning". The Washington Post.
4. Anderson, Dave. (18 April 1982). "John Elway Leaning Toward Football". [[The New York Times]].
5. Wallace, William N.. (11 July 1983). "Stars show their 1, 2 punch". The New York Times.
6. (4 November 1982). "Brett makes demands". The Globe and Mail.
7. "franchise". [[Merriam-Webster]].
8. Hadfield, Dave. (2 March 2000). "Robbie seizing Bulls by the horns". [[The Independent]].
9. Ridley, Ian. (14 December 2003). "There's more to life than Europe". [[The Observer]].