Fighting recently broke out amongst plaintiff’s attorneys attempting to settle the massive multi-district concussion litigation against the NFL after the presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody, nixed a $760 million dollar settlement deal proposal. Judge Brody’s concerns were that the lump sum would be inadequate to fund what could potentially involve 20,000 claims by a variety of NFL alumni over a period of 65 years. Now, the family of the deceased NFL star Junior Seau is voicing their own objections to the proposed deal.…
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They Just Wanted to do the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle,’ but now Former Bears are Heading to Court, Looking for Trouble…
On January 31, six members of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears filed a lawsuit to prevent current license holders Julia Meyer and the Renaissance Marketing Corporation from using the “Super Bowl Shuffle” music video for personal financial gain. The video, which was created by the team three months prior to the Bears’ victory in Super Bowl XX, was an instant success, earning a gold record, a platinum video award, and even a Grammy nomination.
The ex-Chicago bears who brought the suit –Richard Dent, …
Continue ReadingFormer Lions Running Back Latest to Sue NFL Over Concussions
Jahvid Best was a first-round draft pick for the Detroit Lions in 2010. Only three years later, the team released Best due to health complications the running back suffered as a result of incurring multiple concussions on the playing field. Best is now the latest NFL alum to join a long list of others in suing the league for intentionally downplaying the long-term risks of concussions and their role in later-life cognitive decline.
Best’s suit names the NFL, as well as helmet-manufacturers Riddell and Easton-Bell …
Continue ReadingDelay of Game: Slow Progress on Settlement in NFL Concussion Litigation
By late last year the giant NFL concussion lawsuit – a case where several thousand former NFL players are suing the league for intentionally downplaying the risks of concussions and related head injuries – looked to be drawing to an early end. Now, one week after U.S. District Judge Anita Brody rejected a motion for preliminary approval of a proposed $765 million settlement to end the ongoing multi-district concussion litigation against the NFL, renewed settlement talks amongst attorneys for the 4,500+ NFL alumni are becoming …
Continue ReadingJudge Nixes Jury Verdict in EA Sports ‘Madden’ Infringement Case
On January 22, 2014, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer overturned a multi-million dollar jury award against EA sports in a copyright infringement case. The underlying action was originally brought against the video game giant by Robin Antonick, a programmer who was initially given credit and royalties for creating the first edition of ‘Madden Football’ in 1988. Antonick alleged that subsequent versions of the game were created using his own source code, violating copyright infringement laws and entitling him to compensation. A federal jury agreed with …
Continue ReadingMissouri Law Could Spell Trouble for NFL’s Chiefs in New Concussion Lawsuit
The NFL and over 4,500 former players are currently attempting to negotiate a settlement in the massive multi-district concussion litigation against the league. In brief, the plaintiffs’ accuse the NFL of intentionally downplaying and concealing the risks of concussions and the role of head injuries in later-life cognitive decline. Negotiations to resolve the matter recently resumed after U.S. District Judge Anita Brody rejected a proposed $765 million settlement deal that had been reached by the parties. Judge Brody strongly believed that this amount would be …
Continue ReadingFlag on the Play – District Court Judge Rejects NFL Concussion Settlement Plan
Last fall the NFL and 4,500 ex-NFL players reached a proposed settlement deal of $765 million to end the ongoing multi-district concussion litigation. In the underlying case, the NFL alumni accused the league of intentionally downplaying the risks of concussions and their correlation to later-life cognitive decline. In addition to the $765 million sum, the NFL was slated to pay out $112 million in additional funds in plaintiffs’ attorney fees.
However, on January 14, 2014, Judge Anita Brody for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania officially …
Continue ReadingFan Brings Class Action Suit Against NFL Over Super Bowl Ticket Price
NFL fans know they are going to have to shell out big bucks if they want to go to the Super Bowl. At the time this was written, tickets were priced at a minimum of $2,500 on ticket resale websites. Despite getting a “deal” and only paying $2,000 a piece for his tickets, Josh Finkelman filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL in a New Jersey federal court on January 6th, 2014.
Finkelman alleges the NFL violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act by limiting …
Continue ReadingVikings Hire Two Top “Players” to Investigate Ex-Punter’s Allegations
The Minnesota Vikings have retained former Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice Eric Magnuson and former Justice Department attorney Chris Madel to investigate ex-punter Chris Kluwe’s allegations that he was fired for supporting same-sex marriage.
On January 2, 2013, Kluwe published an article on Deadspin outlining the time leading up to his release from the team. He discussed speaking out in support same-sex marriage and the response of team employees. Kluwe said he is “pretty confident” he was fired after eight years as the Vikings’ punter …
Continue ReadingWill It Soon Be Lights Out for the Black Out Rule?
Exciting news was announced for sports fans living in towns with fluctuating home game attendance this week. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it is reviewing the need for the “blackout” rule.
The nearly 40 year old rule prevents satellite and cable companies from televising NFL Events in a team’s home market if the game does not sell out. The blackout rule was developed when teams earned a significant portion of their revenue from ticket sales. The idea was implemented in 1975 to encourage fans …
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