January 8, 2020 Contract / Golf / Litigation / PGA

Hank Haney Sues PGA Tour, Claims They Forced SiriusXM to Cancel His Radio Show

Hank Haney, former SiriusXM radio host and coach for Tiger Woods, filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour, alleging that they put pressure on Sirius to cancel his radio show.

Back in May, on the “Hank Haney Golf Radio” show on SiriusXM, Haney made comments about the U.S. Women’s Open that caused backlash. These comments were taken to be sexist and racist, and Haney both apologized on air and released a formal apology. Sirius initially responded by suspending Haney before cancelling his show altogether.

Now, …

January 8, 2020 Antitrust / Legislation / Litigation / NCAA / Sponsorships

NCAA President Says Student-Athlete Compensation Rule Changes Limited by Antitrust Lawsuits

NCAA President Mark Emmert stated in a panel that the NCAA’s planned reforms regarding student-athlete compensation will be limited by rulings in various antitrust cases.

After California passed a law allowing for student-athlete compensation and many states looked to follow, the NCAA announced in a statement that it would allow student-athletes to benefit off their name, image, and likeness. The NCAA stressed that any changes would have to be consistent with the collegiate model.

In addition to new laws and proposed legislation, the NCAA …

January 6, 2020 Contract / Harassment / Litigation / NFL

NFL Agent Sues NFLPA for Harassment and Harm to Reputation

NFL player agent Vincent Porter is suing the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), claiming that they unfairly harassed him over dismissed criminal charges and ultimately ruined his professional reputation.

In 2014, Porter was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The NFLPA suspended Porter after the charges were announced and publicized his suspension. Porter entered a deferred prosecution agreement and eventually had his charges dismissed with prejudice. Following the dismissal of charges, the suspension was reversed in 2016 after an arbitration between Porter and the NFLPA. …

December 20, 2019 Antitrust / Litigation / NFL

City of Oakland Strikes Back Against NFL, Claiming It Forces Host Cities to Make a “Hobson’s Choice”

In a lawsuit over the Oakland Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas, the city of Oakland has argued that the NFL has forced it and other host cities to make a “Hobson’s choice”: either pay excessive prices to keep an NFL team, or lose the team altogether.

As we reported in December 2018, the city of Oakland sued the NFL and all of its 32 teams over the decision to relocate the Raiders to Las Vegas, claiming that the league violated its own policies in addition …

December 19, 2019 Ethics / Gambling / Litigation / Sports Betting

NCAA Game Rigging Scheme: From Working in Politics to Working with the Mafia

Benjamin Bifalco, a 25-year-old former political staffer for a New York State Assemblyperson, was arrested in October 2019 for his role in attempting to rig an NCAA basketball game. He is expected to plead guilty on the charges.

Previously, we reported Bifalco was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. Section 224(a), which makes it unlawful to influence a sporting contest “in any way, by bribery. . . .” Per the indictment, Bifalco is alleged to have “knowingly and intentionally attempt[ed] to . . . influence by …

December 17, 2019 Contract / Litigation / NCAA

It’s All About the Benjamins: Ex-Kansas Head Coach’s Breach of Contract Suit

David Beaty, former head coach of the Kansas University (KU) Jayhawks football team, has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the university. KU hired Beaty in December 2012, where he initially received an annual salary of $800,000 on a five-year contract. Following the 2016 season, Beaty received a two-year extension with a $1.8 million annual salary. The contract stipulated a payout, worth approximately $3 million, if KU terminated Beaty without cause.

Notably, the payout was not linked to Beaty’s salary. In 2018, KU hired …

December 10, 2019 Concussions / Litigation

Parents Respond to Pop Warner’s Attempt to Exit CTE Suit

On December 2, 2019, Kimberly Archie and Jo Cornell (plaintiffs) filed their response in opposition to Pop Warner’s motion for summary judgment. Archie’s son, Paul, and Cornell’s son, Tyler, participated in Pop Warner Youth Football between the late 1990s and early 2000s. Both young men passed away in 2014.

In an evaluation from Boston University, it was revealed that the young men suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). In 2016, the plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, …

December 9, 2019 Contract / Litigation

Another One Bites the Dust, AFL Files Bankruptcy

The Arena Football League (AFL) has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in a Delaware bankruptcy court. The AFL filed its bankruptcy petition a little over a month after suspending all local business operations for its remaining six teams.

Since its inception in 1986, there have been as many as 19 AFL teams in a single season. However, the number of teams dramatically decreased following a Chapter 11 reorganization in 2009. That same year, the league rebranded to Arena Football One.

This year, the AFL’s financial …

December 6, 2019 Hockey / Litigation

No Goal: Massachusetts Panel Rules that Hockey Player Can’t Sue Fellow Player or Officials over Injury

The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled in a split decision that a high school-age hockey player cannot sue a fellow player or other officials for a serious injury he suffered as a result of an illegal hit.

In July 2013, hockey player Daniel Borella was injured by opposing player Julion Scott Lever near the end of a game between the New England Renegades and Team Kanaly. After being checked by Lever, Borella briefly lost consciousness and had his hand slashed by Lever’s skate. Borella permanently lost …

December 5, 2019 Advertising / Boxing / Litigation

What a Knockout! Disgruntled Fans Suit Down for the Count

The May 2, 2015 match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, promoted as the “Fight of the Century,” saw two of this generation’s most prominent figures in boxing go head-to-head for 12 rounds. However, many fans were less than pleased with the outcome of the fight after the Pacquiao camp’s post-fight revelation.

At the conclusion of the match, a “three-judge panel [unanimously] declared Mayweather the overall winner of the match,” the Ninth Circuit said. That same panel declared Pacquiao the “winner of between two …