UPDATE: 7th Circuit Declines to Revisit its Decision in Late NHL Player’s Wrongful Death Suit

On June 25, 2018, a panel of three 7th Circuit judges voted to deny a rehearing in the wrongful death suit filed on behalf of the late NHL player, Derek Boogaard. As we have continued to cover since 2013, the case was originally dismissed largely due to procedural and technical defects, rather than the merits and alleged facts of the case.

Boogaard died in 2011 following an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol. He was 28 years old. A posthumous diagnosis revealed that Boogaard …

July 2, 2018 Gambling / Legislation / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

Rhode Island All In On Sports Gambling

Rhode Island has become the third state to pass sports betting legislation. The Sports Law Insider has previously reported on both Delaware and New Jersey’s approved gambling legislation. Now, on Friday, June 22, Governor Gina Raimondo signed Rhode Island’s fiscal year budget, which included provisions for the state’s two casinos to offer legal sports betting through the Rhode Island lottery.

With the passage of bill H.7200, sports wagering will begin at Twin River Lincoln casino and Twin River Tiverton casino on October 1, …

July 2, 2018 Antitrust / Litigation / NCAA

NCAA’s ‘Year in Residence’ Rule Here To Stay

The Sports Law Insider has previously reported on the NCAA’s attempt to modernize their transfer rules. The NCAA has transitioned into a notification based system in which student athletes no longer have to receive permission from their current schools to transfer. Instead, they enter their name into a national database that then notifies their current school of their decision to leave. However, the NCAA did allow individual conferences to install more stringent regulations if they wished. The Sports Law Insider then reported on the Athletic …

June 29, 2018 Basketball / Celebrities / civil rights / Ethics / NBA

Bucks Guard Sues Milwaukee Police Over Racial Profiling Incident

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Sterling Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, the chief of the Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) and eight other MPD officers and sergeants in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Brown claims the defendants violated his civil and constitutional rights and applied excessive and brutal force while unlawfully arresting him. The suit arises out of the highly publicized incident that took place on Friday, January 26 at 2 a.m.

Brown was parked …

June 28, 2018 Baseball / MLB

Hot Dogs Bite Back

Philadelphia Phillies Mascot the “Phanatic” has been launching free hot dogs high into the stands for as long as Phillies fans can remember. The dogs are launched using a custom turret style launcher mounted on the back of a John Deer, which makes for quite the spectacle. The Phanatic has fed the fans for years with no issues or hot dog related injuries. This all changed this past Monday, June 18^th.

Longtime Philadelphia resident and Phillies fan Kathy McVay was seated behind …

June 28, 2018 Contract / Litigation

Arena Football Lawsuit

On June 19, 2018, the Arena Football League Players Union sued the Arena Football League One, LLC seeking to enforce an arbitration award issued to Richard Ranglin on January 17, 2018. According to Section 20.1 of the leagues Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), “disputes under the CBA arising between the Union and the League are to be resolved exclusively in accordance with the arbitration procedure outlined in the CBA.” Also, pursuant to Section 20.8 of the CBA, “the decision of an arbitrator is final and binding …

June 27, 2018 Concussions / NHL

Former Players Sue the NHL

On June 21, 2018, former NHL players Dan Carcillo and Nick Boynton filed a lawsuit against the National Hockey League. Carcillo played 429 games in the NHL for the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks. During those games he was involved in 149 fights and numerous on-ice scuffles. Boynton played 605 games in the NHL for the Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Philadelphia Flyers. During those games he was involved …

June 27, 2018 NCAA

Update: NCAA Transfer Rule

As we have previously covered, the NCAA recently changed their transfer rules. In the past, student-athletes went through a “permission to contact” process. This process limited their ability to transfer as their current college coaches were able to block the athlete from transferring to certain schools. Now, starting in October 2018, the NCAA has shifted to a “notification” system that will allow the athletes to transfer without coaches’ permission.

However, on June 19, 2018, various NCAA conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big TenConference, Big …

June 26, 2018 Copyright / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation

Precedent Setting Copyright Case Finally Comes to an End

The precedent setting case Varsity Brands, Inc. v. Star Athletica, LLC, was decided by the United States Supreme Court in March 2017. As we have previously covered, the decision held that a cheerleading uniform’s decorative elements may be protected under copyright law. The ruling provided some resolution regarding the disagreement over when these types of designs are eligible for protection under U.S. copyright law. However, after the decision, the court asked the parties to prepare a joint report setting forth a suggested path …

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