Sports Law Links

Each week The Sports Esquires keep track of the sports law headlines so you don’t have to.  This week’s edition features the growing discussion of the legality of fantasy sports, the chorus of problems facing the NFL, and FIFA’s ongoing scandal.

NFL

• John Sigety: How Greg Hardy could have used Judge Berman’s Deflategate decision to reduce his suspension further. How the NFL convinced prosecutors to give them the Greg Hardy photos.
• Deflategate: Irving Geslewitz critiques Judge Berman’s Deflategate decision. The NFLPA won the battle, but can they win the war?  The NFL previews its legal strategy in Deflategate appeal.  More from Rachel Axon on the NFL’s pre-argument statement.  Michael McCann: why Tom Brady is likely to win his appeal.
• What does the Brady decision mean for Adrian Peterson and the rest of the NFL?
• Interview with DeMaurice Smith: NFL players have a deep mistrust of NFL discipline.
• Don’t expect commissioner power to change anytime soon.
• Judge dismisses Jameis Winston’s counterclaim of tortious interference. Here’s the order.
• 87 deceased NFL players test positive for CTE brain disease.
• Aaron Gordon’s in-depth look at the NFL’s confusing and difficult benefits policies: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
• The NFL’s culture of fan fighting needs to end. For more, read Jeremy Jarrett on the NFL’s violence

Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports

• Justin Fielkow and Dan Wallach: Massachusetts Attorney General’s anti-gambling stance may spell trouble for the daily fantasy sports industry.
• Third Circuit asks the leagues to file a response to New Jersey’s petitions for rehearing. More from John Brennan.
• Congressman requests hearing to discuss the legal status of fantasy sports. This could be the first big legal obstacle to DraftKings and FanDuel.  Is PASPA the real target?  According to the House committee chairman, a hearing is likely.
• The truth about the legality of daily fantasy sports is that it is unsettled.
• Darren Heitner: fantasy sports needs clarity on its carve-out from sports betting.
• In what states could daily fantasy sports be at risk?
• Sports gambling, integrity, alcohol, and governing with a moral compass.
• Let’s call fantasy football gambling.
• The walls around legalized sports gambling may be crumbling.

FIFA

• Sean Dotson explains FIFPro’s challenge to FIFA’s transfer rules.
• The Swiss grant U.S. extradition request for former FIFA vice president.
• FIFA suspends secretary general over black market ticket sales investigation.
• Attorney General Loretta Lynch: expect more FIFA arrests.
• FIFA sanctions Belgian club for violating third party investment regulations.

NCAA

• Scott Schneider: How the Office of Civil Rights handles institutional obligations under Title IX.
• Should college athletes be allowed to unionize?
• Here’s the Rutgers report on its investigation of the football coach’s improper conduct. Should Rutgers fire Kyle Flood for crossing the line?
• Eastern New Mexico found to have committed major violations.
• Eleven women dropped from FIFA video game due to NCAA eligibility.

NHL

• Patrick Kane’s status is shrouded in silence. Kane and his accuser are still discussing settlement.
• Retired player Gary Leeman leads former NHL players in concussion lawsuit fight.
• NHL will have concussion spotters at every game this season.

MLB

• Court dismisses minor league antitrust wage lawsuit against the MLB. Nathaniel Grow’s analysis.
• MLB Network loses bid to keep Mitch Williams’s pay secret. Here’s the full opinion.

Best of the Rest

• Real-time sports data and the First Amendment.
• Kevin Carpenter’s match-fixing case law update. A sports betting integrity plan for the U.K.
• The Ohio Supreme Court stayed its ruling striking down Cleveland’s jock tax pending an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Profiling elite sports law attorney Jeffrey Kessler. Kessler: the last line of defense for player rights.
• Judge denies Al Haymon’s motion to stay in lawsuit with Golden Boy Promotions.
• Olympian files suit against IOC’s schedule change.