Ex-NFL Player DeMeco Ryans Fights Arbitration in Lawsuit Versus Texans

Former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans has asked the Texas Supreme Court to let his lawsuit against the Texans continue, instead of going to arbitration.

As we reported earlier, Ryans sued the Houston Texans back in 2016, alleging that they were responsible for an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in 2014. Specifically, Ryans claimed that the field of NRG Stadium was maintained in a poor condition, as the playing field consists of square patches of actual grass interwoven with seams of artificial …

November 22, 2019 Baseball / Hockey / Labor & Employment / Litigation / MLB / NFL / NHL / Tax

Players’ Unions v. Jock Taxes: An Inside Look at This Waging Legal Battle

Last week, we reported that the NHL Players’ Association, MLB Players’ Association, and NFL Players’ Association sued the city of Pittsburgh for charging a fee on nonresident professional athletes that play within the city. These fees, often referred to as jock taxes, have come under fire over the past few years.

The players’ associations are not challenging the legality of jock taxes in general, about which you can continue reading here. It is well established that states and municipalities have the right to tax …

November 20, 2019 Doping / Litigation / NFL

Former Football Players Fight Back, Tell Ninth Circuit That NFL Was Directly Involved in Painkiller Lawsuit

In a lawsuit where former NFL players accused the league of doping them with amphetamines and painkillers, the players have responded to the NFL’s effort to end their appeal in the Ninth Circuit.

As we reported earlier, former Chicago Bears players Richard Dent and Jim McMahon sued the NFL in 2014, claiming that the league facilitated the use of opioids, anesthetics, and drugs like Toradol without prescriptions, violating the Controlled Substances Act . While their lawsuit was initially dismissed by a district court for being …

November 20, 2019 Litigation / NFL

Potential Legal Consequences Following Steelers, Browns Game

During the November 14, 2019 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, a fight broke out between Browns’ defensive lineman, Myles Garrett, and Steelers’ quarterback, Mason Rudolph. After a play ended with Garrett tackling Rudolph to the ground, both men engaged in a physical altercation, which ended with Garrett taking off Rudolph’s helmet and striking Rudolph in the head with it. In response, some other players from the Steelers, including Maurkice Pouncey, brought Garrett to the ground and started kicking and punching him.

The …

November 15, 2019 Baseball / Hockey / Labor & Employment / Litigation / MLB / NFL / NHL / Tax

NFL, MLB, and NHL Players’ Associations Sue Pittsburgh Over “Unconstitutional” Athletes Fee

The city of Pittsburgh is being challenged for a fee it is charging nonresident professional athletes who play for Pittsburgh teams.

The NHL Players’ Association, MLB Players’ Association, and NFL Players’ Association, along with baseball player Jeff Francoeur and hockey players Kyle Palmieri and Scott Wilson, have sued the city of Pittsburgh. The city currently imposes a three percent general revenue income fee on professional athletes who reside out of state. Athletes who live in the city, however, pay only a one percent fee. Pittsburgh …

November 5, 2019 Class Actions / Doping / Litigation / NFL

NFL Tells Ninth Circuit to End Painkiller Class Action Lawsuit

The NFL argued to the Ninth Circuit that the lawsuit from former players should be dismissed, as it was individual teams, not the league, that supplied the players with amphetamines and painkillers.

In 2014, former Chicago Bears players Richard Dent and Jim McMahon sued the NFL, claiming that teams frequently use opioids, anesthetics, and anti-inflammatory drugs like Toradol. They alleged that such drug use often does not require prescriptions and that the teams do not take into account medical history, substance abuse treatment or potentially …

October 30, 2019 Class Actions / Concussions / Litigation / NFL

Out of Time: Ex-NFL Players’ Suit Against Riddell Time Barred

In July 2016, a group of former NFL players filed a lawsuit against the sports equipment manufacturer, Riddell, Inc., in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. However, on October 21, 2019, Illinois’s First District Appellate Court ruled that the players’ suit is time barred by the “two-year statute of limitations governing personal injury actions in Illinois.”

In their complaint, the players alleged Riddell “failed to warn” that their “plastic helmets could not protect” the players against concussions or long-term neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the …

October 23, 2019 Defamation / Litigation / NFL

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, …

October 17, 2019 Litigation / NFL

Eagles Soar Away from Liability, Appeals Court Reverses $700K Judgment

On October 11, 2019, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania reversed the trial court’s $700,000 award to Dallas Cowboys fan Patrick Pearson. Pearson, who was assaulted at Lincoln Financial Field, alleged that the Philadelphia Eagles were negligent in providing security during the December 14, 2014 matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys. The Superior Court ruled that the Eagles could not have foreseen or anticipated that a fight would occur in a bathroom at the stadium.

At the time of the alleged fight admitted at trial, Pearson …

October 11, 2019 Contract / Litigation / NFL

St. Louis Stadium Authority Tells Supreme Court: Don’t Further Delay Rams Move Suit

The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority argued to the U.S. Supreme Court that there is no reason for the court to halt its lawsuit against the Los Angeles Rams and owner Stan Kroenke.

Last week, the Rams and Kroenke asked Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to halt the case while they petition the Supreme Court to intervene. While the St. Louis Authority stated that the Rams and Kroenke may continue to pursue their supreme court petition, they argued that the court …