It may soon be another sad day in New Jersey for fans that enjoy betting on their favorite sport. A bill led by New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone would have the Supreme Court overturn “the 25-year-old prohibition on state authorization of sports betting.” However, on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, United States Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall recommended that the Supreme Court deny New Jersey’s certiorari petition. There have been recent studies that the Supreme Court follows the recommendation of the Solicitor General 79.6 percent of …
Continue ReadingLATEST INSIGHTS
Class-Action Suit Against Riddell Dropped
A class-action lawsuit brought against Riddell by former high school and college football players has been dropped. The former players had alleged that Riddell, the NFL’s official helmet maker from 1989 to 2014, misrepresented the degree of safety provided by helmets manufactured by the company. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that Riddell falsely claimed in advertising and marketing materials that its Revolution helmets would reduce concussions by 31 percent compared to other helmets on the market, without ever testing them for the type of hits …
Continue ReadingMuirfield Village Golf Club Files Trademark Claim
Muirfield Village Golf Club, which hosts the annual Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour, has sued TCGC Properties LLC for trademark infringement. Muirfield, located in Dublin, Ohio, alleges that TCGC filed a trademark application in early May, attempting to register the Memorial Tournament marks in its name. Therefore, Muirfield claims, TCGC has infringed by attempting to profit off the goodwill generated by Muirfield from hosting the tournament since 1976. TCGC claims they own the Memorial Tournament mark and should have the exclusive right to use …
Continue ReadingNew Jersey Assembly Reaches Endzone with DFS Bill
On Monday, May 22, 2017, the New Jersey Assembly was able to advance a bill to the Senate that would regulate daily fantasy sports games in their state. Assembly Bill 3532 passed, following a 56-16 vote, with two members abstaining. The vote came just less than four months after unanimous approval by the Assembly’s Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee, and two months after an 8-3 approval by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
The bill would regulate all fantasy or simulated activities or contests that utilize …
Continue ReadingWADA You Mean it’s Prohibited?
In a Sports Illustrated interview, Vijay Singh admitted to using a spray that contained “2,520 mg deer antler velvet extract per bottle.” The PGA Tour Inc. suspended Singh because the Deer Antler Spray contained insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1), which is one of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned substances. The Tour eventually dropped the suspension and investigation when they discovered that the spray is not prohibited, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency.
This did not stop Singh from bringing a lawsuit against the Tour, which …
Continue ReadingSeventh Circuit Hears Arguments from Rooftop Owners over Cubs Blocking Stadium Sight Lines
The ongoing legal battle between the Chicago Cubs and the owners of the iconic rooftops near Wrigley Field entered extra innings on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. The two teams fielded their heavy hitters for arguments in front of the Seventh Circuit over whether the Cubs broke a contractual duty in blocking the stadium sight lines from the rooftops. In 2004, both sides agreed to a 20-year contract in which the Cubs would not block for obstruct the views from the roofs and each rooftop owner …
Continue ReadingForward Progress: Personal Injury Suits against Helmet Maker Moving Forward
After a delay and the conclusion of the NFL concussion litigation, the 95 personal injury suits against Riddell, the former official helmet supplier for the NFL, are moving forward. On May 18, 2017, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody, a Pennsylvania federal court judge, issued a scheduling order for the claims against Riddell. Some of these suits were initially brought in 2012 and were later separated from the multidistrict concussion suit filed by ex-NFL players or their families.
A suit against Riddell by NCAA football players …
Continue ReadingThe Not-So Big Easy: Louisiana District Judge Limits AFL Player to Workers’ Compensation for Concussion Injuries
On May 10, 2017, Judge Fallon of the Eastern District of Louisiana held that Lorenzo Breland, a professional arena football player suffering from alleged concussions, was limited to pursing relief through a workers’ compensation claim. As such, the player was barred from pursuing his intentional tort claims against Arena Football One, LLC (the AFO), which owns both the Arena Football League One, LLC and Louisiana Arena Football, LLC.
In originating this lawsuit, Breland asserted that he suffered multiple concussions while playing for the New Orleans …
Continue ReadingBoston University Calls NHL’s Subpoena Unjustified; Seeks Reimbursement of Legal Fees
Boston University has filed a motion in Minnesota federal court asking the court to order the National Hockey League to reimburse the university for $119,704 in attorneys’ fees and costs. The NHL is currently embroiled in a proposed class action suit involving the claims of former players that the NHL failed to warn the players about the risks of head injuries and concussions. One of the potential groups of members includes players diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Boston University is not a party to …
Continue ReadingPower Play: Former NHL Players Shoot for Stay of Deadlines and Bellwethers in NHL Concussion Lawsuit
On May 5, 2017, former National Hockey League players currently engaged in the concussion lawsuit submitted a letter requesting a stay of all deadlines surrounding their bid for class certification. This letter was drafted per an instruction from U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ordered both parties to confer and simultaneously send letters outlining their positions.
In the letter, the players indicate it would be impracticable to be expected to depose the NHL’s 19 experts, oppose five expert motions in limine, obtain rebuttal …
Continue Reading