Following an extensive, multi-year lobbying effort, as well as numerous court battles, the New York State Assembly voted on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, to pass a bill that will make New York State the 50th and final state to legalize professional mixed martial arts (MMA). The bill effectively retools and replaces a prior regulatory scheme in New York, which allowed for professional combative sports contests to be held in New York that were of one particular discipline, i.e., boxing, wrestling, judo, tae kwon do, …
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Dallas Police Refer Johnny Manziel’s Case to Grand Jury
The news surrounding former Heisman winning quarterback Johnny Manziel has gone from bad to worse. Dallas police have indicated that they will refer Manziel’s case, stemming from a well-publicized January 30, 2016 incident with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, to the district attorney as a misdemeanor assault/domestic violence charge. In court documents, Crowley accuses Manziel of hitting her and threatening to kill her in a sequence of events that began in a Dallas hotel room and ended at her Fort Worth apartment. Crowley alleges the blow …
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Will New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Tackle Alleged Unfair Ticketing Practices in the NFL?
Joseph Hanna, Chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Sports and Entertainment Law Practice Group, weighed in on New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s recent report over unfair practices in the event ticket industry, including the NFL Ticket Exchange, the league’s official online ticket market. Schneiderman’s report alleges that the way the NFL sells tickets potentially creates price floors, which in turn increases the costs of tickets.
Schneiderman has called for corporate and legislative changes in the ticket industry. However, altering the way tickets are sold may …
Continue ReadingCriminal Case Against Bill Cosby Moves Forward
On February 3, 2016, in Norristown Pennsylvania, a judge denied Bill Cosby’s motion to dismiss criminal charges against him. The newly elected Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, has filed three felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault based upon the allegations from Andrea Constand. She claims she was sexually assaulted by Cosby in 2004. According to an attorney from Toland Law, if Cosby is convicted he can face up to 10 years in prison and along with civil fines in State of Pennsylvania.…
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Recent Antitrust Settlement a Win-Win for MLB and Sports Fans
Joseph Hanna, Chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Sports and Entertainment Law Practice Group, weighed in on a recent settlement between Major League Baseball and sports fans over territorial blackouts and high prices for sports packages. The settlement came just moments before a trial was set to begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2016.
As Joe concludes in the article for Law360, “They could have gone to trial, and who knows how it would have been decided. The opportunity to settle a case and have what …
Continue ReadingAl Haymon: Would an Exception Knock Out the Rule?
A Quick Look at the Possible Regulatory Implications of Victories for Al Haymon in His Lawsuits with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions
Ask almost any boxer in the United States who the best manager in the sport is today, and most of them would inevitably say Al Haymon. Likewise, ask almost any boxer in the United States who the best promoter is in the sport today, and most of them would inevitably, erroneously or otherwise, say Al Haymon. And therein lies the regulatory issue …
Continue ReadingCamille Cosby Wins the Battle, Not the War
Camille Cosby was set to be deposed in a sexual misconduct and defamation lawsuit filed by seven different accusers against her husband, comedian Bill Cosby, on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In an attempt to block the subpoena, Mrs. Cosby’s attorneys filed a motion to quash the subpoena for the deposition on the basis that information gathered would be protected by the marital privilege. The motion to quash was denied by United States Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy. The Magistrate wrote that he …
Continue ReadingDavid Beckham Takes Another Step to MLS Expansion in Miami
David Beckham’s goal to obtain an expansion Major League Soccer (MLS) team took a step closer to becoming reality. According the Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Beckham has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to buy a property in downtown Miami to house a stadium. The land is adjoining to a private lot that Beckham and his ownership group have previously secured. Beckham is proposing a 30,000-seat stadium in the Overtown area. The sales price will be determined by the fair market value of …
Continue ReadingCan Bam Bam’s Retirement Reduce His Contractual Relationships to Pebbles?
A Quick Look at the Potential Contractual Implications of the Retirement of Welterweight Contender Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios Following His TKO Loss to Timothy Bradley
At his peak, Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios was one of the most tough, durable, and exciting contenders in all of professional boxing. His bouts consistently generated action, and his mouth consistently generated publicity for them. Rios was rewarded for his exciting career when he was given a shot at future Hall-of-Famer Manny Pacquiao on November 24, 2013. Rios showed his …
Continue ReadingTaylor Swift Sued Once Again; R&B Artist Claims “Shake It Off” Lyrics Were His
Taylor Swift is once again being haled in the courtroom as a defendant. This time she is being sued for allegedly ripping off the lyrics to her hit “Shake It Off.” Jesse Braham, a U.S. based R&B singer, reportedly has filed a lawsuit claiming Swift stole the words to “Shake It Off” from his 2013 song called “Haters Gone Hate.” Braham is seeking two things in his suit; financial compensation in the form of $42 million, and he wants his name added to the song’s …
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