It's Good to be Manny Ramirez: His Boston Penthouse is for Sale

If you have $6.9 million to spare, you can buy Manny Ramirez's Ritz Towers' penthouse in Boston. It is 4,500 squre feet, with six bathrooms and four bedrooms, and it has unobstructed views of the Public Garden, The Boston Common, The Charles River, Boston's Back Bay, and the Waterfront. Be sure to check out the virtual tour. I'm not sure if Ramirez is moving to another place...

Read More

Case School of Law's Symposium on Sports and Eligibility Now Available for Streaming

Earlier this month, Case School of Law's Center for Law, Technology and the Arts hosted a symposium entitled Sports and Eligibility: Who is Eligible to Play? Panelists included Joe Rosen, Alan Milstein, Chris Callanan, and me (for a complete list, click here). It was a great event, and I thank both symposium chair Peter Carfagna--the Distinguished Visiting Practitioner at...

Read More

Michael Irvin - Will his latest issue result in any action?

As you undoubtedly all know by now, former Dallas Cowboys WR and current ESPN analyst Michael Irvin was arrested on Sunday and was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched his vehicle during a traffic stop. This is not the first drug-related offense for Irvin, who has gone to great efforts to try to clean up his image after a number of...

Read More

Sen. Arlen Specter: NFL and Eagles May Have Violated Antitrust Laws in Suspending Terrell Owens

Amy Worden and Larry Eichel of the Philadelphia Inquirer examine Senator Arlen Specter's remarks yesterday that the Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee may soon investigate whether the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles have committed an illegal restraint of trade by prohibiting Owens from playing and banning other teams from speaking with him. (Worden & Eichel,...

Read More

The "A" Curve: University High School and the NCAA

Do you remember those days in high school when you wished that you didn't have to deal with the whole school scene? When you wished that you didn't have to get up early every morning so that you wouldn't be late for homeroom? When you wished that you didn't have to deal with nightly homework, quizzes, midterms, exams, lab projects, teachers, class participation, other students...

Read More

Making Some Impact

My aunt told me that my letter to the editor on tattoo parlors in Kershaw County had a favorable impact on the chief councliman Steve Kelley. The issue is now "under study." This will probably kill it as an issue, but the city council wants to get invovled with it as well. I'm just surprised the guy can read.   As for Christmas coming up, I intend to be a Scrooge. I'm an atheist, so I don't get the religion part at all. I'm also a cheapskate, and I can't stand seeing all that wasteful spending. Nothing hurts me more than someone getting a...

Read More

Is NASCAR a sport?

Last weekend, at the invitation of one of my clients, I went to the Miami-Homestead Speedway to take in the final NASCAR race of the season. Now, I have done a lot of work for this client, who is heavily involved in auto racing, but I am not exactly a NASCAR fan. In fact, in the past I have been extremely skeptical of NASCAR, often arguing with friends and colleagues that it is not really a "sport."Well, after the race, I am still not a NASCAR "fan," but my opinion of whether it is a sport has definitely changed. I have scoured the web for a...

Read More

The Guest Bloggers are Coming

We recently mentioned that Sports Law Blog will feature more guest bloggers. Over the next two months, you will be reading commentary from other professors and attorneys with backgrounds in sports. Two of them even played minor league baseball and were drafted (unlike, say, a certain governor from New Mexico). We will still be posting, but we want to add new voices to the discussion.Among those who will be blogging (in alphabetical order):Christopher Callanan, Esq.Shareholder in the Boston office of Campbell Campbell Edwards & Conroy. Extensive...

Read More

Draft Dodger? Gov. Bill Richardson Admits to Not Being a Former MLB Draft Pick

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a probable candidate for the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination, acknowledges that was never drafted by the Kansas City A's in 1966. It has been included in his campaign and biographical literature since he successfully ran for Congress in 1982. The Albuquerque Journal decided to check out the claim, and discovered that he never...

Read More

Turkey Day Hangover

I'm still feeling a bit polluted from drinking too much Jim Beam last night. We had a bonfire going and burned tons of wood, furniture, etc.   I have no one to be thankful to and nothing to be thankful for. But I'm still going to eat some turkey.    ...

Read More

Firefly/Serenity

I watched a mini-festival of Firefly on SciFi last night. This is a great show. I highly recommend it along with the movie.   People say this series is way better than Star Wars or Star Trek. Yet, few people know anything about it. The reason should be obvious. Firefly is for grown-ups. Between all the shooting, killing, sex, prostitution, and the atrocities of the Reavers (which include rape, eating people alive, and using their body parts as clothing and decoration), there's no way kids are ever going to be allowed to get into this show...

Read More

Bob Lobel Settles Libel Lawsuit with Darby Conley

The Boston Globe reports that Boston CBS4-TV Sportscaster Bob Lobel has settled his libel lawsuit against Darby Conley and Conley's syndicator--the New Bedord Standard Times. The lawsuit arose following Conley's May 13 2005 "Get Fuzzy" cartoon. The cartoon portrayed Lobel as an on-air drunk. Lobel is arguably the most prominent sports media celebrity in New England. As we...

Read More

Sports Roundup

I wasn't happy with the Panthers losing to the Chicago Bears. Combined with the Gamecock defeat, it was a sorry football weekend for me.   Tony Stewart won the Cup, and this is good. I'm one of those people not afraid to say that I like Tony Stewart. Everyone says he's some sort of punk or asshole, but he justs seems to be a great driver who loves to race and is not afraid to speak his mind. This year was a good year for him concerning the controversies he seems to always have hitting him.   The other thing I am interested in is whether...

Read More

Call to Media to Memorialize the Negro League

William Li has a wonderful post on his blog regarding the Negro League and the Hall of Fame. Namely, Will wonders whether the vote to induct more Negro League players into the Hall of Fame in February 2006, coupled with the fact that most witnesses to Negro League games are getting older, means the media--and print media in particular--has an obligation to: a) bring awareness...

Read More

The Cocks Blow It

Carolina lost to Clemson last night. I was less than pleased with this outcome. There is something about the Gamecocks that just insists on losing to the Tigers. They need a sports shrink or something.   Hopefully, the Panthers will prevail against the Chicago Bears to give me some small bit of triumph this weekend.  ...

Read More

David Frank and Scott Gilefsky's Sports Court on Sporting News Radio

For those interested in excellent sports law discussion on the radio, Sports Court, a weekly show hosted by Boston attorneys David Frank and Scott Gilefsky of 1510 The Zone Sporting News Radio Boston, has a terrific program scheduled for tonight from 7 PM to 9 PM Eastern Standard Time.Attorney Paul DeMarco of Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley in Cincinnati will be interviewed...

Read More

The Sporting News' Top 50 NBA Players

Stan McNeal, managing editor of The Sporting News, ranks the top 50 NBA players. I see several oddities on his list (Steve Nash is higher than Kevin Garnett???), but it's interesting that 5 of the top 10 players are Americans who ascended directly from high school to the NBA, and yet only 8 percent of NBA players are Americans who ascended directly from high school to the NBA. I'm sure top college programs would have loved to have had the Lebron James and Tracy McGradys of the world, even for just one year -- think of all of the money they could...

Read More

Letters to the Editor

I write letters to the ditors of newspapers ranting and raving over a variety of topics while remaining consistent with my libertarian beliefs. Some get published while others don't The advantage of having a blog is that all get published on the internet.   Here are some recent letters I wrote:   1. To The State newspaper on capping property tax:   On Nov. 6, The State published a breathtakingly stupideditorial calling for "fairness" in terms of propertytax that car owners pay.All property taxes are inherently unjust. To make theinjustice...

Read More

Clemson/USC Back on Free TV

Everybody here is happy that they get to watch to the Carolina/Clemson game on ESPN 2 now for free. I'm happy about it myself. I think beating Florida and Florida State, bowl bids, and a top 20 ranking for the Cocks helped out a bunch.   Folks, the free market works. ESPN listened, and they are now providing.  ...

Read More

Comparing Harry Potter Fans and Sports Fans

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opens tomorrow in theaters. Upon hearing that, many of you may have had my reaction: Who cares?I really do not understand the social infatuation with the Harry Potter books and films. It's one thing for children to be attracted to the storylines in these films--since the films are about children--but I find it a little strange when adults are so captivated by fantasy worlds full of magic wands and pre-adolescent-heroes.Along those lines, I remember really liking the film The Never Ending Story when I was about...

Read More

New York City Council Passes Stadium Safety Law

There is a reason why David Letterman once joked that the phrase "Yankee Stadium -- where everyday is helmet day" would make a fitting slogan for the New York Yankees. It's also why Roger Angel of The New Yorker remarked that when Yankees fans threw bottles and debris at Boston Red Sox players during Game 6 of last year's American League Championship Series, it made him "sit...

Read More

New MLB Steroids Policy: Fleeting Victory?

Under pressure from Congress, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players' Association have agreed in principle to a new steroids testing policy: players will be suspended for 50 games after one positive test, 100 games for a second offense, and banned for life if they test positive a third time, with the player having the right to apply for reinstatement...

Read More

Why Books Are Better Than Movies

You've probably heard this before. "That movie was good, but it wasn't as good as the book" They never are.   The reason books are superior to movies is because print invokes the imagination more than a passive medium like movies or TV. I discovered this reading Sherlock Holmes and liking it more than watching CSI. Movies and TV are to books what masturbation is to sex.   The popularity of video games also attest to this phenomenon. The video game industry is now larger than the movie industry. Like it or not, people want more active...

Read More

Growth of Law Professor Blogs: A New Age Dawning?

Daniel J. Solove, a law professor at George Washington University School of Law and contributor to Concurring Opinion, is compiling a census of tenured or tenure-track law professors with blogs. In his latest census update, he finds that there are 202 law professors with blogs--an increase in over 50% from his last census back in June.The stunning growth of law professor blogs invites a number of questions for those "in the academy." To date, blog postings appear to provide only minimal or no "professional advancement" value to law professors,...

Read More

David Ortiz Robbed of 2005 AL MVP

There's The Man The Best Red Sox Player of Our GenerationAnd The American League's Real Most Valuable PlayerSorry, but is the person below really an MVP?I didn't think so eith...

Read More

The Cocks Rock

The Gamecocks finally beat the Gators. As many of you know, I spent some time down in Florida where I was regularly ribbed on an annual basis as the Cocks got their asses handed to them by Steve Spurrier and the Gators. It's nice to see the tables turned after so much defeat.  ...

Read More

Drunks and Drug Addicts

My cousin Billy Joe took my car without permission last night to buy beer. He has a suspended license because of a third DUI. The boy is an alcoholic.   I have no use for drunks. I like to socialize and hang out. I even think it is OK to have a few drinks though I'm a virtual teetotaller these days. But to get wasted to the point that you lose your job and your driver's license is just plain stupid.   I'm not much on broadcasting this type of shit on an internet blog, but it makes me feel better without beating the boy's head in. Alcoholics...

Read More

Crummy Day

I haven't heard back from any of the prospects I interviewed with. This sucks. I can feel the black cloud of depression beginning to swirl around me. I have to fight that shit. I can apply, interview, piss in cups, and do callbacks. But I can't make anyone say yes.   I also got rear ended today. My left rear fender has a crink in it now. I didn't notice it at the time and told the chick it was OK. Then, I saw the damage when I returend to my car after a visit to OfficeMax. I wasn't too happy about it, but there's nothing I can do about it....

Read More

Case Law School Sports Law Symposium

The Case Law School Sports Law symposium on age limits in pro sports, which I discuss below and will be partaking in, begins at 9 AM Eastern Time this morning and will be webcast at this link. It should be a great event. Joe Rosen, Alan Milstein, and I will be speaking from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM. Hope you get a chance to wat...

Read More

Race and Hiring for College Football Head Coaching Positions: Lawsuit Forthcoming?

Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star has an excellent piece today on race and hiring trends for NCAA Division IA and IAA football head coaching positions. (BCA Gives IU, Irish High Marks, Indianapolis Star, 11/10/2005). The Black Coaches Association -- a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports -- recently studied this topic, and there is now speculation that a black candidate denied such a head coaching position could bring a lawsuit against a particular...

Read More

Sports and Eligibility: Who is Eligible to Play?

I am excited to be speaking at Case School of Law tomorrow. The Center for Law, Technology and the Arts is hosting a symposium entitled "Sports and Eligibility: Who is Eligible to Play?" It should be a great event, and the speakers' schedule is detailed below. Peter Carfagna, the Distinguished Visiting Practitioner at Case Western Law and Senior Counsel at Calfee, Halter...

Read More

Carolina, Clemson, and PPV

A lot of people are pissed off because they are going to have to pay to watch the Carolina-Clemson game. If one or both teams were ranked, this probably wouldn't be an issue. But they're not. Like it or not, the only people who care about this game reside in this state. What makes me laugh is how people think they have a God-given right to watch this game free of charge. But if they put together a party at their house and split the cost among five or six people, it will cost less than a DVD from Blockbuster. It seems everyone thinks they should...

Read More

It's Morning in Cambridge

I'd be remiss not to a post a new story in the Harvard Law School Record, of which my good friend and former classmate Roger Pao is Editor-in-Chief. The Record recently conducted a survey of Harvard Law School students and asked them to "identify and rank what you believe to be the ten best American law schools." No specific law schools were mentioned, and all students contacted...

Read More

Twins Look to Escape Stadium Lease

The fight in Minnesota over the Twins and a stadium continues. The Minnesota Twins sued their Metrodome landlord Tuesday, asking a judge to rule that the team is under no long-term obligation to play baseball in the stadium.Twins attorney Roger Magnuson said the lawsuit filed in Hennepin County District Court shouldn't be viewed as a first step in an attempt to move the team. For more than a decade, the team has been pursuing public money toward a new ballpark without success."That's not the purpose of the filing,'' Magnuson said. "Obviously, the...

Read More

Ixnay on the Macksay

I've pulled the plug on the PS forum because no one seems to have the time to waste arguing the finer points of the nickel defense or whether Jaime Pressly has a nice ass.   In other news, I am debating speaking my mind at an upcoming meeting of the Camden City Council conerning tattoo parlors. Essentially, the City wants to do the same thing as the county--tell you how to live even if it doesn't hurt anyone including yourself.   I'm a much better writer than speaker or debater. Plus, I'll probably end up cussing or something. I've already...

Read More

College Athletics? Or the Devil's Game?

I agree with a great deal of what is written on this blog, but I had to take a moment to comment on Mike's Friday post, "Racism Among College Football Coaches" (11/4). I agree that the comments were inappropriate. But it is not fair to impugn all of college athletics based on them.First, while not an excuse, both comments were made by coaches who are long-time members of AARP. DeBerry is 67; Joe Pa is nearly 80. They grew up, played their careers and started coaching in a different world than that in which we live today. This does not excuse the...

Read More

Sports Law Blog Turns 2

As the Sports Law Blog celebrates its second birthday, we have begun reviewing the past and the future of this project. Overall, we could not be happier with how it has gone and with the growth of both this blog and blogs in general. Of course, Mike and I are always looking to improve the site and we hope to institute a number of changes in the coming months.One change will be an expansion beyond simply "sports law" stories. This blog is read not only by sports law-types, but also sports fans with an interest in the law and lawyers with an interest...

Read More

Sunday's Sports Court on Sporting News Radio

For those interested in excellent sports law discussion on the radio, Sports Court, a weekly show hosted by attorneys David Frank and Scott Gilefsky of 1510 The Zone Sporting News Radio Boston, has a terrific program scheduled for Sunday tonight (7 PM to 9 PM Eastern Standard Time).The guests are especially good this week (with all due respect to myself and others who have previously appeared on the show): * WBA heavy-weight boxing champion John Ruiz during the 7 o'clock hour. He will discuss the civil lawsuit he filed in federal court this week...

Read More

Is Fighting Part of a Hockey Player's Employment?

Rugged, physical contact has always been an integral part of professional hockey, especially when it is in the form of checking. A flattening check on the boards is what makes the game exciting, particularly when a player can combine it with scoring prowess (see Cam Neely, the prototypical NHL power forward who starred for the Boston Bruins from 1986 to 1996).When rugged, physical contact entails fighting, however, the debate then changes--especially when viewing the legal rights of an NHL player and the legal obligations of an NHL team. Namely,...

Read More

Racism Among College Football Coaches

Next time you hear someone say that racism no longer exists in America, just direct them to these benighted comments made by two prominent college football coaches during this past week (and thanks to Offwing for their discussion):"[T]he black athlete has made a big difference. They have changed the whole tempo of the game. Black athletes have just done a great job as athletes and as people in turning the game around." Joe Paterno, Penn State Head Football Coach, 11/4/2005Then there is this beauty:"[Texas Christian University] had a lot more Afro-American...

Read More