Judge Denies Reviving Patriots’ “Deflategate” Suit

The Massachusetts Appeals Court denied to revive the so-called “Deflategate” suit brought by a proposed class of New England Patriots fans, seeking damages and injunctive relief against the National Football League, Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft.

The suit stems from the highly controversial accusations against Tom Brady for his alleged role in the scheme to deflate footballs below the PSI range defined by league rules. Commissioner Goodell fined the Patriots $1 million, suspended Brady for four games, and took away …

August 6, 2018 Concussions / Litigation / NFL

NFL Concussion Settlement Payouts Far Ahead of Schedule

As we recently reported, the district judge overseeing the NFL’s billion dollar concussion settlement has refused the NFL’s request for a special investigator to uncover potentially fraudulent claimants. Since then, claims administrators in the settlement process have released a report indicating that over $500 million in claims had been approved for payout as of July 30, 2018, which is 8 years ahead of the 10-year, $400 million projection.

Just weeks ago, counsel for the NFL conjectured that the total settlement would reach approximately $1.4 …

July 27, 2018 NFL

Judge from Deflategate Case Declines Autograph Request from Fan

On July 19, 2018, Scott Smith, an avid Sports Illustrated magazine collector, emailed U.S. District Judge Richard S. Berman requesting his autograph on the cover of the September 14, 2015 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. According to the email, one of Smith’s lifelong passions is “collecting autographs on my covers of Sports Illustrated magazine.” According to Smith, he has the world’s largest personal collection of autographed SI magazines, about 20,000 magazines in total. His collection is allegedly well documented, he has appeared in Sports …

May 8, 2018 NFL

Medical Marijuana Puts an NFL Player’s Career in Limbo

In 2013 NFL running back Mike James was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. During the opening drive of the game, James broke his ankle after an opposing player fell on his foot, causing his ankle to be twisted awkwardly. James was rolling on the ground in excoriating pain and was later carted off the field with a left ankle injury. Surgery, a metal rod, and medal wires were needed to repair his ankle, and after the surgery, James was …

May 3, 2018 Litigation / NFL

Former NFL Cheerleaders Offer to Settle Discrimination Suit for $1 and a Meeting

On April 24, 2018, two former NFL cheerleaders voiced their willingness to settle their discrimination dispute with the NFL on two conditions. The cheerleaders determined that they would both stop pursuing their claims in court if league commissioner, Roger Goodell, would sit down with them for a four-hour, good-faith meeting and pay just $1 to each. The meeting would involve plaintiffs Kristan Ware and Bailey Davis, as well as several other cheerleaders who were not involved in the suit, but who are connected to the …

February 28, 2018 NFL

NFL to Seek $2 Million from Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

According to a report, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is preparing to demand $2 million from Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. Apparently, Jones will be forced to pay $2 million because Jones’ fellow NFL franchise owners are upset with the way Jones has acted over the past eight months. Not to mention, Goodell and Jones have a longstanding feud.

In 2017, Goodell’s contract as NFL Commissioner was set to expire. When the NFL Compensation Committee began the process of renewing Goodell’s contract, Jones attempted …

October 18, 2017 NFL

Cowboys’ Elliott Catches Yet Another Reprieve in Fight Against NFL Suspension

South District of New York Judge Paul Crotty granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Tuesday, October 16, 2017, blocking the NFL’s suspension of Dallas Cowboys’ star Ezekiel Elliott, pending a hearing before the presiding judge, Katherine Polk Failla, who is on vacation. Judge Crotty’s ruling that “irreparable harm” would be caused if Elliott served the suspension comes only five days after the Fifth Circuit had overturned the first injunction, issued by a Texas court, which had frozen Elliott’s suspension. The Fifth Circuit …

October 17, 2017 NFL

The NFL and Ezekiel Elliott Will Now Duel in New York Federal Court Over His Six-Game Domestic Violence Suspension

The battle between Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL continues. Last week the Fifth Circuit cleared the way for the NFL to enforce Elliott’s six-game domestic violence suspension. In the most recent update, the NFL Players Union urged the New York federal judge overseeing the NFL’s adjoining suit to grant it an emergency order blocking his suspension that is set to begin this coming Monday, October 23, 2017. Among its answer and counterclaim in the New York suit, the Players Union seeks an …

October 14, 2017 NFL

Is Ezekiel Elliott’s Suspension Finally Going to be Enforced After Appellate Court Sides with NFL?

The latest motion in the legal battle over Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension has been decided. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for the NFL to enforce a six-game suspension on Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott over domestic violence accusations, siding with the league in the most recent high-profile fight over its ability to penalize players for off-field behavior. Specifically, the Fifth Circuit, in a 2-1 opinion, granted a stay for the injunction that was postponing Elliott’s six-game suspension. The majority ruled that …

September 10, 2017 NFL

The NFL’s Players’ Association and the NFL Battle in Two Separate Lawsuits About Ezekiel Elliottt’s Six-Game Suspension

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and the National Football League’s Players’ Association (NFLPA) filed suit seeking to vacate the forthcoming ruling of an arbitrator on the appeal of Elliott’s six-game suspension in a domestic violence case. The suit, filed in federal court in Texas, alleges that the NFL’s appeal process is fundamentally unfair because the arbitrator denied a request to have Elliott’s accuser testify at the appeal hearing. Elliott also alleges that NFL executives hid information that was favorable to his case before Commissioner …