Archives

Category: ‘NFL’

The Elvis Dumervil Fax Fiasco Explained
March 28th, 2013 at 8:35 AM
Elvis Dumervil,one of the NFL's premier pass rushers was all set to take a paycut in base salary from $12 million to $8 million to remain with the Denver Broncos a scant thirty minutes before the deadline to re-sign him.   If Denver did not have his renegotiated contract before...

NFL’s Draft Eligibility Rule Ripe for a Challenge?
February 15th, 2013 at 3:20 PM
University of South Carolina's junior defensive end Jadaveon Clowney is widely considered one of, if not the top player in NCAA football going into the upcoming season.  Yahoo Sports's Michael Silver quotes GMs and coaches in his article about Jadaveon's situation that if he were allowed to enter this April's...

Manti Te’o’s Potential Legal Recourse Versus Catfishers
January 27th, 2013 at 1:53 PM
Now that some of the smoke is cleared and we have a better idea of what actually happened with Manti Te’o’s imaginary girlfriend, the obvious question arises: Does Te’o have any legal recourse against the perpetrators of this hoax? To begin with, we still have not heard all sides of this...

Former Texans Punter Brett Hartmann Suing Reliant Stadium Owners and Operators for Unsafe Playing Surface
November 15th, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Former Houston Texans punter Brett Hartmann filed a lawsuit today in State District Court of Harris County, Texas against the owners of Reliant Stadium (Harris County Convention & Sports Corporation) and the management company who operates the stadium (SMG).  Hartmann tore his ACL and fractured his fibula during a December...

To Invest or not to Invest? Sports Franchises and Stock Exchanges
September 10th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
In light of global soccer giant Manchester United's recent IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, the fine folks at the Economist included an article about professional sports franchises as investments in a recent issue. The article essentially states that investing in sports teams is less than ideal, particularly in...

NFL Referees’ Lockout Could Continue into Regular Season
August 14th, 2012 at 8:38 AM
For many Americans August means two things: summer is slowly coming to an end, and FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK! The Olympics may have muffled some of the buzz associated with training camp and less-than-meaningful early preseason games, but football fever is slowly picking up again. This August, much like last...

The Legal Road Ahead for Jamal Lewis
June 22nd, 2012 at 2:09 PM
It seems like only yesterday that Jamal Lewis was gashing the Cleveland Browns on his way to a record setting 295 yard rushing performance.  Today, Lewis is looking to attack the Cleveland Browns organization off the field.  Last month, John Mengels released a story outlining an interview with Lewis and his...

Upcoming Sports Law Conference: Sports Law Seminar for Rookies and Veterans
May 29th, 2012 at 3:32 PM
The law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is holding its second annual Sports Law Seminar for Rookies and Veterans June 14th in Minneapolis.  The one day event will feature some impressive speakers including agent Drew Rosenhaus, former Minnesota Wild Assistant GM Tom Lynn, and the Honorable David S. Doty of the U.S. District of Minnesota.  For a full list of speakers click here.  The event is...

Wanted: Stern Action – the Problem with Commissioner David Stern’s Suspensions
May 25th, 2012 at 12:38 PM
Recently we have seen an influx of suspensions, from the seemingly harsh action taken by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints, to the apparently inconsistent action taken by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.  Although harsh, the suspensions are justifiable, in that there was an intentional act jeopardizing player health and safety.  However, suspensions for the same acts in the NBA have been comparatively mild.  This Wednesday, the NBA announced that Miami...

Suspended Saints’ GM Mickey Loomis Being Investigated for Eavesdropping on Opposing Coaches
April 23rd, 2012 at 3:11 PM
It seems the New Orleans Saints cannot do anything right these days. Suspended General Manager Mickey Loomis is being investigated for using an electronic device to eavesdrop on opposing coaches from 2002-2004. (He is serving the suspension for his involvement in the Bountygate scandal.) ***PHOTO1*** The pertinent law in this case is...

Newton’s Law 4.0: Agent Registration and Regulation
April 19th, 2012 at 8:00 AM
***PHOTO1*** Just as Sir Isaac Newton changed our understanding of the universe in 1687, Cam Newton is on the cusp of changing the understanding of representatives in amateur athletics.  A new law, Newton 4.0, has been approved by the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee to modify the Alabama Uniform Athlete Agency Law. ...

Chapter 11: the Pitfall of Athletes and Corresponding Agent Responsibility
April 17th, 2012 at 8:00 AM
***PHOTO1*** The controversial Dennis Rodman made headlines again last month; however this time it had nothing to do with partying or basketball, but rather his deteriorating financial situation.  Dennis Rodman joins the unfortunate class of former athletes gone broke, an ever growing list that includes the likes of: Terrell Owens, Antoine...

Two Tim Tebow Fans Attempt to Trademark “Tebowing”
April 11th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
***PHOTO1*** Two of Tim Tebow's fans are attempting to cash in on the "Tebowing" phenomenon and have filed paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark office.  The first, 24-year-old Jared Kleinstein runs the popular and entertaining Tewbowing.com website.  The second is Florida native Jason Vollmer who sells merchandise at tebowinggear.com. ...

FDIC Sues Former Bears QB Jim McMahon for $140 Million
April 10th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
Jim Mcmahon, former Chicago Bear Quarterback and headband enthusiast, is one of the nine former directors and officers of Broadway Bank sued by the FDIC for $140 million plus interest.  McMahon served on the Bank’s Board of Directors from 2003 to 2008. ***PHOTO1*** In it’s complaint, the FDIC states that “[a]s a...

Federal Judge Upholds Tebow Apparel Ban
April 5th, 2012 at 8:00 AM
***PHOTO1*** A day after releasing the new official NFL product line, Nike was back in court against Reebok.  Following a trade sending Tim Tebow to the New York Jets, Reebok sold 6,000 Tebow-Jets jerseys and 15,000 Tebow-Jets t-shirts.  Nike alleged Reebok manufactured and sold such apparel without authorization.   Following Nike's complaint, a judge rendered a temporary injunction (here) which banned Reebok from manufacturing or selling Tebow-Jets related apparel.  Reebok responded...

The Saga of Ryan Leaf (Impossibly) Takes Another Turn for the Worse
April 4th, 2012 at 7:42 PM
The story of Ryan Leaf isn't a story about football.  First it was about promise and expectation.  Then it was about talent and ego.  Next about failure and acceptance.  With news of Leaf's second arrest in four days for burglarizing homes and stealing prescription pills, it has now become about addiction and consequence. ***PHOTO1*** The first part of Leaf's story is well known among those who...

New Orleans Saints’ Bountygate Appeal Chances of Success
April 3rd, 2012 at 5:10 PM
A professor of mine at Tulane Law School, Gabe Feldman, wrote a guest column on the sports/pop culture conglomerate Grantland this morning. (Click here or below for the link.) Professor Feldman has written for the website before during both the NBA and NFL lockouts, and during the Chris Paul New...

Tebow-Fraud: Nike Sues Reebok for Unauthorized Use of Tebow Apparel
April 3rd, 2012 at 8:00 AM
***PHOTO1*** Last Wednesday, the world was once again turned upside down by Tebow-mania, this time in the form of a lawsuit.  Nike filed a complaint against Reebok for selling New York Jets apparel with Tim Tebow's name and number.  The next day, the US District Court of New York blocked Reebok from...

Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Forcing Reebok to Stop Selling Tim Tebow Jets Jerseys
March 29th, 2012 at 9:47 AM
After filing suit against Reebok in a U.S. District Court in New York on Wednesday, Nike was granted a temporary restraining order restricting Reebok from selling Tim Tebow New York Jets Jerseys.  Reebok’s reign as the NFL’s exclusive apparel maker expires on March 31 and Nike takes over the following...

New NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth Investigating ‘Bountygate’
March 28th, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Domonique Foxworth, the former third round pick of the Denver Broncos and current free agent cornerback, was elected president of the NFL Players Association without opposition on Sunday. He takes over for Kevin Mawae, who was elected in March 2008 to the position. The group also elected members to the...