NFL Appeals Ruling in Clarett Case: In a move that surprised no one, the NFL has appealed the federal district court ruling in the case of Maurice Clarett. The NFL is asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay of Judge Scheindlin's ruling that ordered the league to open its draft to Clarett and other players who have graduated from high school. In the wake of the district court ruling, USC receiver Mike Williams, a sophomore, has declared his intentions to enter the draft, and other players are expected to follow suit.Editorials on...

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Did Italians Steal Western Kentucky Mascot?: Western Kentucky University is suing Mediaset, the television company run by the Prime Minister of Italy, for trademark and copyright infringement, claiming that Gabibbo, the mascot for the satirical show "Striscia la Notizia" is a carbon copy of Big Red, the Western Kentucky mascot since 1979. The suit seeks $250 million in damages....

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Sex Consent Forms for Athletes: In another disturbing sign of the times, Protect Condoms, Inc has begun selling sex-consent forms for athletes and others. The company, whose slogan is "Protect your ass-ets," has sold about 4000 forms at $8 each. Such a form was parodied by comedian Dave Chapelle on his Comedy Central television show earlier this year. Boy, there is nothing more romantic than asking someone to sign a consent form in the heat of the moment, but I suppose if you are an NBA star, you don't always have to worry about "setting the...

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Owens Fails to Declare for Free Agency: San Francisco 49er's receiver Terrell Owens and his agent, David Joseph, failed to file the proper paperwork with the NFL league office, meaning that the receiver did not void the final three years of his contract and will not be an unrestricted free agent. Joseph, however, stated that the paperwork was filed and he believed the contract had been voided. He plans to file a grievance with the NFL Management Council.What does this mean for the 49ers? On the one hand, they were probably welcoming the departure...

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More on Disney: The New York Times has an article discussing the increasing perilous position in which Disney CEO Michael Eisner now finds himself. After numerous large shareholders have voiced their lack of confidence in Eisner, it appears that a large percentage of voters may abstain from voting in the upcoming board election, rather than vote for the unopposed Eisner. A similar tactic led to the resignation of Stephen M. Case, the former chairman of AOL Time Warner. Reuters reports that the vote against Eisner could top thirty percent.In...

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Shameless Self Promotion: My article, "Payment for College Football Players in Nebraska," which deals with legislation proposing a stipend for college football players and the problems this would cause with Title IX, is now available on Westlaw (subscription required). The Harvard Journal of Legislation has not yet posted the article on its website, but it usually does so. The cite is 41 Harv. J. on Legis. 319 (200...

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Interested in Working in Sports?: Maybe you should start your own business based on professional spor...

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Fenway Groundskeeper Sues Yankees: The Fenway Park groundskeeper who was involved in an altercation during the ALCS with Yankees players Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia has sued the players for more than $33,000 for medical bills, lost wages and damage to his sense of smell.In the criminal case, all three men pleaded not guilty to assault and battery charges last month, with pre-trial hearings set for March for the Yankees and April for the groundskeeper.Depending on the outcome of the criminal trial, the Yankees players may decide to settle the...

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How Will Steroid Scandal Affect Baseball? Baseball stars have for the most part been mum about the latest indictments and allegations of steroid use. However, as Tom Verducci notes, a number of players may report to camp noticeably underweight and looking thinner. At least one player, Rockies pitcher Denny Neagle, has noticed a difference in some of the top players. However, David Pinto over at Baseball Musings thinks this is a non-story, as players don't need steroids to maintain muscle mass (or at least for there to be a noticeable difference).However,...

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Former Baseball Umpire Admits Fraud: In news to sports memorabilia collectors, former American League umpire Al Clark has pleaded guilty to fraud for falsely authenticating hundreds of baseballs he said had been used in notable games in which he took part. Clark reportedly prepared false certificates of authenticity for normal baseballs, saying they had been used in the games in which Cal Ripken Jr. tied and broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games-played record, the one-game playoff in 1978 in which the Yankees defeated the Red Sox, and Hall of...

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Judge Once Again Dismisses Big East Lawsuit: For the third time in four months, the Big East's attempted lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference was thrown out on personal jurisdiction grounds. You can read more in this earlier post. The lawsuits against Boston College and Miami may continue, though the Miami lawsuit has been moved back to state cou...

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Judge Dismisses Baylor Suit: A federal district court judge dismissed the final count of the wrongful-death lawsuit filed against Baylor University by the father of Patrick Dennehy, Jr., saying that the school could have in no way foreseen the killing of the former basketball play...

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adidas Sues US Polo Association: Shoe and apparel manufacturer adidas has filed a trademark infringement suit against US Polo Association, after US Polo put out a shoe with two stripes that adidas says infringes on its traditional three-stripe design.You can see the adidas three-stripe design here. I have been unsuccessful in my search for a picture of the offending shoe. If anyone comes across one, please email ...

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Title IX Claim in Colorado Case?: Deborah Zabarenko has an article on FindLaw about the possible Title IX claims that could be raised by the female victims in the Colorado sex recruiting scandal, especially depending on how much the administration kn...

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Yankees and American Capitalism: This is one of the most entertaining articles I have seen pertaining to the Yankees acquisition of Alex Rodriguez. In short, if you like American capitalism, you should like the Yanke...

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NBA Union to Decide on Baker Today: The NBA Union will decide by today what action, if any, it will take in the case of Vin Baker, who was released by the Celtics last week. The union is trying to determine if Baker's signing with another team will interfere with the union's action against the Celtics on his behalf. The union filed a grievance after the Celtics declared Baker "unfit to play" for missing ten consecutive games due to substance-abuse related problems.The Tacoma (WA) News Tribune has an entertaining editorial discussing the absurdity...

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Verdict in Broncos Trial: The jury in the case over ownership of the Denver Broncos has decided that current team owner Pat Bowlen breached certain terms of the contract in which he purchased the team from Edgar Kaiser. According to the sale agreement, Bowlen was required to make any offer to sell part of the team to Kaiser before anyone else. However, in 1998, Bowlen offered former Bronco quarterback twenty percent ownership in the team, an offer which Elway rejected. The jury found that this offer violated the terms of the contract between...

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Final Reggie Lewis Appeal Denied: A state appellate court in Massachusetts has denied the request of Reggie Lewis's widow for a third try at persuading a jury that a cardiologist's negligence caused her husband's death. Lewis, a former player for the Boston Celtics, collapsed and died in the summer of 1993 while shooting baskets in a local gym. Lewis's widow claimed that Dr. Gilbert H. Mudge committed medical malpractice by failing to diagnose a lethal heart condition. Lawyers for Dr. Mudge responded that cocaine use by Lewis helped to contribute...

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Baseball Arbitration Results: Via the Sports Economist, baseball arbitration ended today, and surprise, salaries are up. Although the average is a bit out of proportion due to the seven year, $100 million contract signed by Albert Pujols this week, the average annual salary of the 65 players who filed for arbitration is a record $3.26 million, up from $2.76 million last year.Of the 65 players, all but seven reached an agreement before going to a hearing, including Pujols, Roy Halladay and Kevin Millwood. In baseball arbitrations, the team and...

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3rd Circuit Rules on Umpire Labor Dispute: In what is probably the end of one of the worst labor strategic moves of all time, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an arbitrator's decision that ordered the reinstatement of nine umpires and denied the reinstatement claims of 10 others. The decision upholds the same rulings made by a federal district court judge.The case stems from actions taken by Major League Umpires Association [MLUA] during the 1999 season. In an attempt to force the leagues to negotiate with the umpires, the umpire's...

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More on Colorado Scandal: The news out of Colorado is getting worse for university officials, students and fans. There have been more allegations of rape and it looks as if Gary Barnett will lose his job as head coach. Colorado has named Brian Cabral as the interim head coach after Barnett was placed on administrative leave. It appears that Barnett will take the brunt of the blame, and some writers have said he must have been "clueless or dishonest."The issue is reaching far past Boulder, CO. The AP reports that Congress could potentially...

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Wallace Benched Over Paperwork Problems: From Espn.com:"Rasheed Wallace and Mike James both made their debuts with the Pistons in the first half Thursday against the Timberwolves, but the team was told at halftime that neither would be allowed to play in the second half. Michelle Tafoya reported on ESPN's broadcast of the game that the Pistons were informed that Wallace and James could not play the second half in Detroit because of an agent certification issue. For a trade to be complete, paperwork for all the teams involved -- in this case the...

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NFL Sues Orlando Brown: The NFL has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Orlando Brown, alleging that he owes the league money because he returned to professional football after receiving an injury settlement. Brown received a $15-20 million settlement from the NFL, after he sued over an incident in which he was hit in the eye with a penalty flag weighted with metal pellets. According to The Washington Post, the settlement stipulated that if Brown returned to play, the NFL would get 50 percent of his after-tax income each season, up to a total of...

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Bobby Knight Drops Lawsuit Against IU: In an update to this earlier post, Bobby Knight has decided to forego any further appeals in his breach of contract lawsuit against Indiana.I agree the former player quoted in the article in hoping that the end of the lawsuit will lead Indiana and Knight down a path of reconciliation. Knight excelled as coach of the Hoosiers for 29 years, including several national championships and the last perfect season in men's basketball (1976). I, for one, would like to see them both put their differences aside, a...

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Colorado Coach Placed on Paid Leave: In the continuing saga of the Colorado football recruiting scandal, head coach Gary Barnett has been placed on paid administrative leave, not because of the alleged sex parties used to get recruits, but rather because of statements he made two days ago concerning a former Buffalo kicker, a female who claims she was raped at one of the parties. In responding to the woman's allegations, Barnett's comments focused solely on the fact that she was not talented as a placekicker, leading many to believe he was insensitive...

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How Valuable Is ESPN?: The Comcast-Disney merger talks (see more below) have significance in the sports world mainly because of the value of Disney-owned ESPN, which many consider to be the most important cable channel. However, Meg James of the LA Times asks, has ESPN peaked? James notes that ESPN already reaches 80% of all homes and must explore new ways of generating revenue, especially as rights fees for sports programming continue to skyrocket. The costs of this programming is passed on to the cable subscribers, which does not always make...

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Former Globetrotters Sue Team: Via the Sports Business Daily (subscription required), six former members of the Harlem Globetrotters have filed a lawsuit, claiming that the team and several other companies used the players' names and images on merchandise without their permission. The players are seeking an injunction to prevent the Globetrotters from using their name and likenesses and $1 million in punitive damag...

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Clarett Hires Agent: Maurice Clarett has reportedly hired an agent, removing any possibility of the former Ohio State running back returning to school. There is still a chance that the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals could stay the District Court ruling allowing Clarett to enter the draft. If this were to happen now, Clarett would not be able to be drafted or play in college next year, due to the NCAA rule that forbids players who have hired agents from returning to scho...

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Maker of AstroTurf Going Out of Business: Southwest Recreational Industries, the Texas company that has made AstroTurf since the 1960s, has filed for bankruptcy protection and is going out of business. The company originally developed the artificial playing surface for the Astrodome, the first domed stadium, after the grass originally planted in the facility died. Since then, AstroTurf has been installed in stadiums, indoor and outdoor, for both basketball and footba...

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Bulls Buy Out Williams Contract: The Chicago Bulls have waived Jay Williams, the guard who has missed this entire season with injuries sustained in a June motorcycle accident. As part of the agreement, the Bulls will pay Williams $3 million of the $7.7 million remaining on his contract, despite the fact that Williams violated the provision in his contract prohibiting use of motorcycles. Williams is currently rehabilitating at Duke, where he played three years of college basketball.On a personal note, I met Williams several times while we both...

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Disney Board Rejects Comcast Offer: The Disney Board of Directors unanimously rejected Comcast's bid to purchase the company, saying the offer undervalued the stock of the corporation. The Board also re-affirmed its support of CEO Michael Eisner. The rejection by no means ends Comcast's bid, however, as the company, which holds Disney stock, now most likely will attempt a proxy contest to attempt to win control of the Disney Board. Comcast will have an easier road in staging a hostile bid due to the limited anti-takeover measures in the Disney...

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Law Review Article on Baseball: Courtesy of JD2B, here is a link to an article in the upcoming Texas Law Review that discusses the relation between law school and faculty rankings and Billy Beane and the Oakland A's. I have not read it yet but will post more when I do.For now, Jeremy Blachman has a summary and review of the artic...

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More on Recruiting Sex Scandals: An assistant coach at the University of Colorado has admitted what many people have been waiting to here: sex parties were needed to recruit the top athletes. This means, of course, that other top schools have the same enticements. Or as Michael Wilbon said on PTI: "There are 117 D-I football programs. You know how many do this? 117."You can read the civil claims of the women claiming rape at one of the sex parties he...

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More on Balco: The New York Times asks after four individuals are indicted, what about the professional athletes?You can read the indictment here.You can look at the search warrant affidavit in the case he...

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Stern Discusses NBA Age Requirement: In his State of the League address, NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he did not agree with the recent ruling in the Clarett case and that he expects it to be overturned on appeal. Stern, a lawyer before working at the NBA, says the league will continue to pursue an age minimum for its playe...

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Celtics to Terminate Baker's Contract; Union to Appeal: The Celtics placed Vin Baker on waivers on Friday, in anticipation of releasing him on Wednesday, a move that would save the team $36 million over the next 2 1/2 seasons. The team has the power due to a clause in Baker's contract that allows them to release him if he misses ten consecutive games due to substance abuse. Baker was suspended indefinitely on Jan. 23 for violating a testing program he agreed to last season when he left the team to check into alcohol rehab.The NBA Player's Union,...

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Four Indicted in Balco Case: The Grand Jury indicted four individuals, including Barry Bond's personal trainer, following its investigation into the scandal involving the designer steroid Balco. All four have pleaded not guil...

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News Update: In today's news:The sale of the Dodgers to Frank McCourt was completed this afternoon. You can read more on the bid here.NCAA President Myles Brand announced a task force to look into recruiting practices across the nation. This is in response to the allegations of recruiting-sex parties at the University of Colorado.The New York times reports on the financial report released yesterday by former SEC-chair Arthur Levitt, who said he found the league in "dire financial shape." While 11 of the 30 teams were profitable last year, “earning...

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More on Comcast and Disney: As expected, Comcast's proposed bid for Disney has made ways throughout the country, including in the sports world. The bid would have a strong effect on ESPN, as Comcast would not only be the largest cable provider in the nation, but also own the most popular cable channel. The deal, if successful, would also force Disney to sell the Mighty Ducks, the NHL franchise it has owned since the mid-90s and that has the name of the popular Disney movie.The merger would also shake up the media industry. The New York Times...

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Pitt Seeks Out of Nike Deal: The University of Pittsburgh has filed suit seeking to invalidate a contract with Nike to outfit its athletic teams. Pitt argues it never signed the deal with the apparel company, even though Nike officials provided the university with the products specified under the contra...

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Judge Denies Motion for Stay in Clarett Case: The Associated Press reports that Judge Scheindlin denied the NFL's motion for a stay of her ruling, saying that the league would not suffer "irreparable harm" if underclassmen are allowed to declare for this year's draft. Judge Scheindlin also defended her ruling, saying that it was based on law established decades ago. In addition, she echoed this post in saying that if the ruling is stayed until after this year's draft, Clarett's lawsuit will become moot.Not surprisingly, the NFL will appeal to...

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Comcast Makes Bid for Disney: Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider has made a $50 billion stock swap bid for Disney, in a deal that would create the largest media company in the world. At least initially, investors have said the deal is undervalued and Comcast may need to increase its bid by as much as $10 per share to complete its bid. The initial offer was for $26.47 a share, a 10% premium on Tuesday's closing price.This could prove to be a major battle for Michael Eisner, the CEO of Disney. He turned down the offer made by Comcast...

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Dixon and Statutory Rape: Sherry Kolb on FindLaw has an article discussing the pros and cons of statutory rape laws in conjunction with the Marcus Dixon case (read more below).There are a number of problems with the statutory rape laws as they are applied in several states. 'Mistake of fact' cannot be a defense, even if the victim consents and directly lies about her age to her partner. Also, I say "her" because statutory rape laws often only apply to an older male and a younger female, or are only applied in that direction. The Dixon case showcases...

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Wrestling Coach Sues Over Title IX: The wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota has sued the university for gender discrimination stemming from the manner in which the school has implemented Title IX.Title IX forms the basis of my piece that will be published this month in the Harvard Journal on Legislation (no link available yet, but it is v.41, p.319). In one part of the piece, I discuss that male athletes have been held to have no recourse against cutbacks in, or the elimination of, their sports at universities attempting to comply...

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Update in Price v. SI Case: Federal judge C. Lynwood Smith in the Northern District of Alabama has certified the question of whether or not a Sports Illustrated writer must reveal his sources to the Alabama Supreme Court. In a 31-page opinion (no link available), Smith reiterates his position that Alabama's press shield law does not apply to magazines, but asks the Supreme Court for a ruling on the issue. The move heads off a decision by the publication to appeal to the 11th Circuit.The Shield Law, Alabama Code § 12-21-142, provides: "No...

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News Update: In an update to the Colorado recruiting scandal, the president of an adult entertainment company reports that Colorado football players often hired strippers to perform at parties for recruits, in one case as recently as "a few weeks ago." The leader of the investigation into the scandal also said she would not resign, despite receiving criticism for suggesting that the young women put themselves at risk for rape by attending alcohol-fueled sex parties. The exact quote: "The question I have for the ladies in this is why they are...

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Hearing on Stay in Clarett Matter: The NFL will seek a stay in oral arguments before U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin tomorrow at 1:00 pm. While the NFL declined to comment on the substance of its argument, the overall theme will probably be the damage that could be done to the league in allowing in some underclass players while an appeal is pending. The opposite argument is that a stay will prevent Clarett (and others) from exercising the very right the court sought to protect in its ruling last week, because the appellate court will not...

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How Free is Speech at Sporting Events?: University of Maryland officials have asked the state attorney general for guidance on the issue of whether it can remove or discipline students at basketball games that yell expletives or wear shirts with obscene phrases. Maryland came under fire following its game against Duke two weeks ago, at which students wore "F--- Duke" shirts and chanted "F--- you Reddick" at Duke guard J.J. Reddick. However, the school feels that it cannot discipline fans because it is a public institution that plays its games...

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NFL Will Seek to Stay Ruling: The New York Times reports that the NFL will seek to stay the federal court ruling in the Clarett case, which means that Maurice Clarett could still be "shut out of the April 24 draft." The judge could reject the league's request, but it could be granted by an appellate court prior to the draft.It is unclear what would happen if any underclassmen declare for the draft by the March 1 deadline and sign with an agent, only to have the judge stay the ruling. Under NCAA rules, the player could not return to college,...

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More on the NHL Labor Dispute: The NHL All-Star weekend has created a number of articles about the impending work stoppage. The Sports Business News has two articles: one about the dispute in general and one saying it's all about the money. The Tennessean has an article asking if the NHL's future is "on thin ice."You can read more about this bel...

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Arbitrator Rules Against Raptors: An arbitrator has ruled that the Toronto Raptors owe former center Nate Huffman $2.56 million of a $5.2 million contract he signed last season. The team argued that Huffman did not inform management of a chronic knee problem that caused them to release him. Huffman responded that he had seen team trainers for the problem, as is the common practice in professional spor...

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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against ACC: For the second time in four months, a Connecticut state judge has dismissed the ACC as a defendant in the Big East's lawsuit for lack of personal jurisdiction. The judge ruled that the ACC did not have sufficient ties to Connecticut to be sued in the state. Under International Shoe and Hanson, a defendant must have continuous and systematic contacts with a state and purposefully avail itself of the protections of that state in order to be sued in the state's cour...

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Analyzing the Opinion in Clarett Case: Putting aside the policy issues of the Clarett case (below), was the case rightly decided on the law? I have little knowledge of antitrust law, so I will defer to the experts on this one.You can read the full opinion here, or just excerpts from the LA Times.The key issue in the case is whether or not the draft eligibility rule falls under the league's collective bargaining agreement. If it does, then it is exempt from antitrust provisions through established common law that favors the union negotiations...

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NHL Labor Update: During the NHL All-Star weekend, much of the focus has naturally been on the impending labor show-down between the league and the players. Gary Bettman expressed cautious optimism in his State of the League address, urging patience from fans as a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is negotiated to ensure "stable franchises" and the ability of fans "to enjoy outstanding hockey entertainment at affordable prices." Bettman also stressed the goal of a "competitive environment in which their favorite team has just as good a chance...

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More on Clarett: The fall-out on the Clarett case has been predictably widespread and conflicted. The NFL plans to appeal the case, but the only way to prevent Clarett and other underclassmen that declare for the NFL by March 1 from entering the April 24 draft is to have the original court or an appellate court issue a stay. However, even the league lawyers admit that thestay won't come in time.How will the decision affect Clarett? The public reaction to his case is mixed, as evidenced by Espn.com Writer's Bloc, which lists Clarett among the...

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Golf Club Manufacturer Sues Nike: Despoir, Inc. (which has no website), a manufacturer of golf clubs, has filed suit against Nike, alleging that the sporting goods giant infringed three of its patents in making certain clubs, including the 'Nike CPR Wood.' The suit, Despoir Inc. v. Nike Inc., was filed in the Northern District of Illinois in December. Below are the links to the patents at issue.U.S. Patent No. 6,248,026U.S. Patent No. 6,139,446U.S. Patent No. Des. 418,...

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Administration Update: I have recently added syndication to the site (see the link in the right-hand box). If you experience any problems with it, please let me know.Also, I apologize for the relatively few posts in the last week. My schedule will begin to calm down next week and I should be back to posting dai...

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Clarett Cleared to Enter NFL Draft: A New York federal district court judge has ruled that the NFL's three year rule violates anti-trust law and "must be sacked." You can read the opinion here. I haven't read it all (because it is 71 pages) but I will post more later on the subject.I assume that the NFL will appeal the decision, but I do not know how an appeal will affect Clarett's ability to enter this year's dra...

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Super Bowl Halftime and First Amendment: Columbia Law professor Michael Dorf writes that the Jackson-Timberlake performance may be protected by the First Amendment, because it cannot be described as "obscene" under Miller v. California, nor "indecent" under FCC v. Pacifica (as applied in City of Erie v. Pap's).Obviously, the case is not cut-and-dried and would make for a highly entertaining legal battle, should the FCC impose a sanction and the artists or networks appe...

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Final Four in Indianapolis Every Five Years: The NCAA reached a Memorandum of Understanding today with the Indiana Sports Corporation that will bring the Final Four to Indianapolis every fifth year until 2039, marking a significant change from the NCAA's traditional policy of cities bidding to host the lucrative championship. The city is also guaranteed the Women's Final Four, Men's and Women's preliminary round games and the NCAA Convention (one a year) for the four other years in the five-year cycle. It is unclear what guarantees the NCAA...

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More on the Super 'Bare': The Sports Business Daily (subscription required) has a nice summary of the latest updates in the Super Bowl Halftime Scandal. I will post more later for non-subscribe...

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NFL Unhappy with Las Vegas Ads: The NFL expressed extreme displeasure with the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority ads purchased on the local CBS affiliates in five of the top seven markets during the Super Bowl. The NFL has called the ad, which promotes watching the Super Bowl in Las Vegas by saying "if only it were this much fun in Houston," a violation of league policy that prohibits gaming-related ad content. The advertising company responsible for the ads has attempted to buy national airtime during the Super Bowl the past two...

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More Problems for Clarett?: Maurice Clarett may have bigger problems than just the extra benefits given to him by Robert Dellimuti, which resulted in his suspension from the University. ESPN.com is reporting, based on cell phone records it has obtained, that Dellimuti is a frequent gambler and placed numerous bets leading up to last year's Fiesta Bowl, in which Ohio State defeated Miami for the National Championship. The NCAA frowns heavily on any contact between an athlete and an established gambler, for obvious reasons.Now, this may just be...

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Did Bobby Knight Violate His Contract?: Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight was reprimanded by the University, but not suspended following an outburst aimed at a University official. Did Knight violate his contract? Judge for yourself, by reading the contract courtesy of FindLaw. Regardless, I agree with Dick Vitale, who says that for his own good, and the good of his team, Knight should try to keep a low profi...

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'Playmakers' Cancelled: ESPN has decided not to continue 'Playmakers,' its fictionalized account of a professional football team, in part because of pressure applied by the NFL. I find this very disturbing, as I posted earli...

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Corporations Out of Style as Team Owners?: The LA Times has an interesting article about the changing nature of sports teams' ownership. Apparently, corporations are out and families are en vog...

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NHL Labor Strategy?: Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an interesting take on the impending NHL dispu...

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MLB Asks MLBPA Not to File Grievance: According to the Sports Business Daily (subscription required) and the Washington Post, Major League Baseball has reportedly asked the Player's Association "not to file a grievance charging that owners are colluding on salaries." This claim would probably receive more sympathy if the average salary in the league was not over $2 million per ye...

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Super Bowl Aerial Camera Flies Over Patent Hurdle: As you probably noticed if you watched the game, CBS used its aerial camera system during the Super Bowl on Sunday. What you may not have known is that it took a decision by a Philadelphia federal district court judge to allow that to happen. In CF InFlight Ltd. v. Cablecam Systems Ltd., Judge Legrome D. Davis concluded that the plaintiff, which holds the patent for the "Skycam" aerial camera system, failed to show that it is likely to win a patent infringement claim against the makers of the...

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Clarett Case Causes NFL to Delay Fitzgerald Announcement: The NFL has delayed an official announcement on the draft status of Larry Fitzgerald, stating it was doing so out of respect for the pending Maurice Clarett litigation.The judge in the Clarett case held a conference call this week with both parties to clarify Clarett's intentions, after reports surfaced that the player might return to Ohio State, even if his lawsuit proved successful. The Fitzgerald delays fuels speculation that a ruling in the case is imminent, perhaps coming as early...

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Trial Begins in Suit Over Broncos: The trial pitting former Denver Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser against current owner Patrick Bowlen began jury selection today in Colorado. Kaiser, who sold the team to Bowlen in 1984, claims that Bowlen "cheated him out of the chance to buy back stakes in the team years later." In addition, the suit claims that Bowlen misrepresented himself as the sole buyer of the team and then repeatedly violated Kaiser's right of first refusal by secretly transferring shares of the team among members of his fami...

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More on the Super 'Bare': In an update to last night's post, the FCC has announced an investigation into the ending of last night's Super Bowl halftime show, when Justin Timberlake ripped a portion of Janet Jackson's top, revealing her right breast. The Chairman of the FCC went so far as to issue a public statement regarding the incident.The incident comes at a time when sexuality and indecency on television has become a heated issue. Legislation has been proposed to increase the maximum fine for indecency 10-fold, from $27,500 to $275,000,...

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News Update: There have been a number of updates to posts I have made in the last few weeks.Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the sale of the Dodgers to Frank McCourt. Read more here, here and here.The University of Colorado delayed state senate plans for a special legislative investigation of alleged recruiting violations, including sex parties, after the university's president agreed to form an independent commission to look into the allegations. Since the Colorado allegations, there have been stories emerging about other schools...

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CBS Apologizes for Halftime Show Ending: CBS has apologized for the unexpected ending of its halftime show, where Justin Timberlake pulled off part of Janet Jackson's top, revealing her right breast. What is unclear is whether the network could be fined for the incident, even though CBS changed cameras very quickly and did not mention the incident for the remainder of the broadcast. The FCC recently proposed a record fine of over $750,000 against four Clear Channel radio stations in Florida which aired 26 episodes of the sexually-explicit "Bubba...

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