 This was done at the urging of New Jersey Generals majority owner Donald Trump and a handful of other owners as a way to force a merger between the leagues.As part of this strategy, the USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League in 1986, and a jury ruled that the NFL had violated anti-monopoly laws.However, in a victory in name only, the USFL was awarded a judgment of just $1, which under antitrust laws, was tripled to $3.