Interference: NFL Sued After Cancellation of Fantasy Football Event

Another day another lawsuit. Fan Expo LLC, a company with ties to Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo, filed a suit in Dallas on Monday against the NFL after it allegedly interfered with a National Fantasy Football Convention that was supposed to take place earlier this month.

Initially scheduled for July 10-12, the convention was planned to take place in The Venetian and feature NFL players including Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Rob Gronkowski, Odell Beckham Jr., as well as a number of others. The lawsuit alleges …

July 24, 2015 Contract / NFL

Marcus Mariota – Conflict Inevitable in Contract Negotiation

In 2011, the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association reworked their collective bargaining agreement, which brought a major change to the structure of rookie contracts. Gone were the days of massive dollars for players yet to play a down in the NFL. In their place: structured, cookie-cutter deals that have a fixed compensation value based on which slot in the draft the player is selected. Every contract is for the same length of time as well. The goal was to streamline …

July 20, 2015 NFL / TV

Rigging The Game: Bar Owner Says NFL-DirectTV Partnership Violates Sherman Anti-Trust Laws

A class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court on Monday against the National Football League and broadcast satellite service provider DirecTV over their NFL Sunday Ticket partnership. The suit was brought by Ninth Inning Inc., which owns The Mighty Duck sports bar, on behalf of similarly situated establishments. The complaint generally alleges that the business relationship between the NFL and DirecTV is an impermissible monopolistic partnership in violation of Sherman Anti-Trust laws.

In a statement, Ninth Inning described its position:

Because DirecTV and the NFL

July 20, 2015 NBA / NFL

Growing Up Big and Strong: FanDuel Raises $275M in Financing

On Tuesday, July 14, daily fantasy sports website FanDuel Inc. announced that it brought in $275 million after closing a round of financing, bringing its total venture capital funding to $363 million. The funding is led by private equity firm KKR, Google, and Time Warner, and the company stated that it plans to use the financing to boost customer acquisition efforts, introduce new products, and build its management team.

Additionally, the company noted that several NFL and NBA team owners participated in the funding round …

July 14, 2015 Litigation / NFL

Keeping the Drive Going: NFL Continues to Fight Against Fans’ Bid for Costs

On Friday, July 10, the NFL argued against an attorneys’ fees request by fans who originally sued over seat complaints from Super Bowl XLV. In its reply brief supporting a motion filed in June, the NFL urged U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn that the request for more than $83,000 in cost reimbursements should either be denied entirely or reduced by at least 90 percent.

In the brief, the NFL suggested that despite the $75,850 jury award the fans won in March for their …

July 8, 2015 NFL / Trademark

Downward Spiral Continues for Redskins as Judge Upholds Trademark Cancellation Decision

On Wednesday, July 08, a federal judge ordered the cancellation of the Washington Redskins’ federal trademark registrations. United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee ruled that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office should cancel the team’s trademark, finding that the name “may disparage” Native Americans.

Judge Gerald Bruce Lee’s decision affirmed the earlier ruling by the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In that ruling, the appeal board held in a 2-1 vote that the team’s moniker is offensive to Native Americans and therefore ineligible …

July 3, 2015 NFL

X Marks the Spot: Parties Skirmish in Dez Bryant Branding Lawsuit

Dez Bryant, a famed wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys who is also known for crossing his arms in an X after successful plays, is now the focus of a brewing legal battle between Jay-Z’s Roc Nation LLC and Official Brands Inc., a Florida-based sports marketing firm.

The lawsuit was filed in Texas state court by Official Brands, which claims that Roc Nation engaged in tortious interference with regards to theirs and Bryant’s business relationship. More specifically, the lawsuit arises out of Bryant’s agent change …

July 2, 2015 NFL

Sacking the Opposition: Redskins Fight Amicus Brief in Trademark Dispute

On Tuesday, June 30, the owner of the Washington Redskins challenged the Native American defendants’ request to introduce a parallel case’s amicus brief that addresses the rights to federal action of trademark holders under the Lanham Act and related First Amendment issues. According to the team’s objection, the brief was untimely, had not been allowed by the court, and offered further argument that did not constitute an authority.

At a hearing on June 23, the defendants argued that the Supreme Court’s decision in Walker v. …

June 27, 2015 Litigation / NFL / TV

Fans Prepare to Sue NFL and DirecTV Over Blackouts

Another class action suit is around the corner for the NFL and DirecTV. Football fan Thomas Abrahamian filed a proposed complaint in a California federal court on Wednesday for a class action suit alleging that the NFL and DirecTV have violated Sherman anti-trust laws.

NFL coverage is currently set up in the form of a ‘blackout coverage’ system. What this means is games will be broadcasted on a regional basis. If a person is outside of a particular game’s ‘broadcast region,’ they will be unable …

June 25, 2015 NFL

Pump Up The Appeal: NFL Commissioner Hears Tom Brady’s Testimony

Last week, on June 23, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell presided over Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension in the “Deflategate” case. However, there is currently no timetable for a decision on the appeal, as the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association calls for a decision “as soon as practicable.”

The four-game suspension arose out of an investigation into the “Deflategate” scandal, where footballs were found to have been deflated to below the permissible limit under league rules. Attorney Ted …