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, …

Continue Reading

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 …

Continue Reading

The Garden of Even Odds: DraftKings and Madison Square Garden Reach New Partnership

With the New Year now underway, sports betting news has skipped the typical holiday lull and continued its deluge into the mainstream.

On the second day of this new decade, the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) and DraftKings, Inc. announced a renewed partnership. Under this new marketing agreement, DraftKings is set to become the exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy sports partner of MSG – which includes massive market teams, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Notably, this new deal will allow …

Continue Reading

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. …

Continue Reading

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 …

Continue Reading

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 …

Continue Reading

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 …

Continue Reading

Russia Banned From 2020 and 2022 Olympics, 2022 World Cup for Doping Violations

Russia has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from participating in or hosting various sporting events, including the 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup.

As we reported earlier, the Russian track-and-field team was banned from the 2016 Summer Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations. This ban was a result of a systematic doping cover-up and the lack of compliance from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). The Russian Olympic team was later banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics due to extensive doping …

Continue Reading

New Jersey State Assembly’s Not-So-Flowery Debate on Student-Athlete Pay

New Jersey is the latest state to advance a student-athlete pay-for-play bill. On November 14, 2019, New Jersey State Assemblywoman Lisa Swain and Assemblyman P. Christopher Tully introduced Assembly Bill 5863, or the New Jersey Fair Play Act.

Previously, we reported a slate of states, including California, passed or introduced student-athlete compensation bills. Like many of those bills, the New Jersey bill will allow student-athletes to earn compensation using their name, image, or likeness. However, some New Jersey State Assembly members voiced their concerns with …

Continue Reading