January 16, 2020 Baseball / Bountygate / Defamation / Ethics / Fraud / Libel / Litigation / MLB

Signs and Signals and Trashcans, Oh My! Astros Cheating Scheme Exposed

Sports scandals are not a foreign concept to fans, players, coaches, owners, and the like. For example, on March 2, 2012, the NFL announced it had evidence of the New Orleans Saints’ “bounty system that gave cash rewards for knocking [opposing players] out of games” during the 2009-2011 NFL seasons. Somewhat similar, MLB is experiencing something that, while less dangerous, is just as detrimental to the integrity of the sport.

Baseball catchers use signs and signals to determine what type of pitch will be thrown …

January 6, 2020 Contract / Harassment / Litigation / NFL

NFL Agent Sues NFLPA for Harassment and Harm to Reputation

NFL player agent Vincent Porter is suing the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), claiming that they unfairly harassed him over dismissed criminal charges and ultimately ruined his professional reputation.

In 2014, Porter was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The NFLPA suspended Porter after the charges were announced and publicized his suspension. Porter entered a deferred prosecution agreement and eventually had his charges dismissed with prejudice. Following the dismissal of charges, the suspension was reversed in 2016 after an arbitration between Porter and the NFLPA. …

July 28, 2015 NFL

Running Out of Air: NFL Commissioner Upholds Brady Four-Game Suspension

On Tuesday, July 28, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the four-game suspension imposed on New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady on May 11. The NFL announced that Goodell’s decision to uphold the suspension was based on the Wells Report and evidence that came to light during the ten-hour appeal hearing last month.

Specifically, Goodell noted that Brady’s destruction of his cell phone was a factor in upholding the suspension. He explained how Brady had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages during the four months that the …

June 25, 2015 NFL

Pump Up The Appeal: NFL Commissioner Hears Tom Brady’s Testimony

Last week, on June 23, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell presided over Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension in the “Deflategate” case. However, there is currently no timetable for a decision on the appeal, as the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association calls for a decision “as soon as practicable.”

The four-game suspension arose out of an investigation into the “Deflategate” scandal, where footballs were found to have been deflated to below the permissible limit under league rules. Attorney Ted …

September 8, 2012 Bountygate / NFL

Bounty-Gate Players’ Suspensions Lifted by Arbitration Panel, For Now

The suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players involved in an alleged pay-for-pain bounty program were lifted by a three-member arbitration panel, allowing the players to return to the game – for now. The arbitration decision allows the players to return to their teams, but it does not permanently void their suspensions.

An NFL investigation revealed that Saints coaches and players ran a bounty program from 2009 – 2011 in which players would receive cash payouts for hits that injured opponents. In …