Michael Rapaport Moves For Summary Judgment Against Barstool Sports

Comedian Michael Rapaport moved for summary judgment in a lawsuit against Barstool Sports, Inc., on March 3, 2020, contending that there was enough evidence to find the entertainment company liable for breach of contract and defamation.

According to Rapaport’s complaint, the comedian entered into a contract with Barstool Sports in 2017 to provide video content for the company’s webpage and to host a weekly podcast on the company’s platform for Sirius XM. Rapaport claims that this deal entitled him to $200,000 for the online videos …

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Signs and Signals and Trashcans, Oh My! Astros Cheating Scheme Exposed

Sports scandals are not a foreign concept to fans, players, coaches, owners, and the like. For example, on March 2, 2012, the NFL announced it had evidence of the New Orleans Saints’ “bounty system that gave cash rewards for knocking [opposing players] out of games” during the 2009-2011 NFL seasons. Somewhat similar, MLB is experiencing something that, while less dangerous, is just as detrimental to the integrity of the sport.

Baseball catchers use signs and signals to determine what type of pitch will be thrown …

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MLB Umpire Joe West Sues Ex-Player Paul Lo Duca for Defamation Over Bribery Claims

Major League Baseball umpire Joe West has filed a lawsuit against ex-player Paul Lo Duca, alleging that Lo Duca defamed West by falsely accusing him of bribery.

In one of his podcasts this past April, Lo Duca claimed that a teammate told him that West engaged in bribery. That teammate, Billy Wagner, allegedly told Lo Duca at a 2006 or 2007 New York Mets v. Philadelphia Phillies game that he lent West his 1957 Chevrolet in exchange for opening up the strike zone for him. …

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Browns Rushed to Identify Beer-Pouring Fan, Misidentified Fan Files Suit

The Tennessee Titans faced off against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on September 8, 2019. As customary, a group of Browns fans sat in the area behind the home team’s goal post, dubbed the Dawg Pound. The Browns were trailing the Titans and, late in the fourth quarter, Baker Mayfield’s pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Titans cornerback, Malcolm Butler. Fellow Titan, Logan Ryan, decided to jump into the Dawg Pound while celebrating Butler’s pick six.

While celebrating, …

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New England Patriots Player Asks Judge to Throw Out ‘Trash Talk’ Lawsuit

New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung has asked a federal judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit by a former Los Angeles Rams employee that involves the posting of a text message on social media.

As we reported earlier, former Rams ticket executive Matthew Hogan sued Chung and Matthew Weymouth, a friend of Chung’s who ran his social media pages. The lawsuit is over text messages that Chung posted to his social media. The post consisted of an exchange between Hogan and Weymouth where Hogan …

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Judge Denies Elon Musk’s Motion to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

On April 26, 2019, U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson denied Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit. No detailed order was filed; Judge Wilson simply made a text-only docket entry declining Musk’s request.

Back in September 2018, Vernon Unsworth brought suit against Musk, alleging defamation arising out of tweets and emails sent by Musk. Unsworth, who has in excess of 40 years of spelunking experience, played a pivotal role in rescuing a dozen young soccer players trapped in a Thailand cave earlier …

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Patrick Chung Sued over Posted Trash Talk

On March 27, 2019, a former Los Angeles Rams ticket executive, Matthew Hogan, sued Patriots safety Patrick Chung and Matthew Weymouth over trash talk that was later posted on social media. According to the lawsuit, Hogan was “forced from his job” and now cannot find a new job after Weymouth, the man who runs Chung’s social media account, posted a text message exchange, between Hogan and Weymouth, where Hogan said, “Patrick Chung is a b***h.”

According to Hogan, the text message was a joke sent …

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Former Louisville Basketball Players Sue NCAA

In February 2018, the University of Louisville men’s basketball program was forced to vacate 123 wins from the 2011-2014 seasons. This included Louisville’s 2013 national championship, making Louisville the first university to have to vacate a national title. The program was forced to vacate these wins and pay fines by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) due to multiple NCAA infractions. The infractions revolved around former staff member Andre McGee of the men’s basketball team allegedly hiring exotic dancers and escorts to entice recruits to …

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BIG3 Suit Involves Allen Iverson and Steve Bannon

Another lawsuit involving Ice Cube’s start-up three-on-three basketball league the BIG3 is the latest issue for the league to try and overcome. What was supposed to be a fun, innovative league that would allow former players to keep their careers alive has turned into a series of lawsuits.

Former Chief Creative Officer Kainoa Henry filed his complaint on Monday, June 12, in a California Superior Court. Henry alleges that he was forced to resign from his position at the BIG3 after co-founder Jeffrey Kwatinetz, who …

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Update: MLB Player’s Libel Suit Against Al Jazeera

On May 31, 2018, Al Jazeera filed an opposition motion in the Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard libel lawsuit. As we have previously reported, MLB player’s, Zimmerman and Howard, sued Al Jazeera after a 2015 documentary called “The Dark Side: The Secrets of Sports Dopers” aired. The documentary accused the Zimmerman and Howard, and other professional athletes, of using performance-enhancing drugs (PED’s). While the two sides continue to battle over discovery, Zimmerman and Howard previously filed a motion to compel. In their motion, Zimmerman …

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