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 Derrick Rose trial, the minor league baseball wage suit, and the NCAA’s response to North Carolina’s HB2.

NCAA

• Blake Yagman: is college football developing an underground free agency market?
• Boise State defends its blue turf with broad trademark power.
• Mark Emmert wants the NCAA to have the power to punish schools for athletes’ sexual violence.
• In response to a contentious North Carolina law, the NCAA is relocating all championship games held in the state. The ACC has followed suit.
• UCLA football assistant penalized for recruiting violations. Here’s the full decision.

NFL

• Congressional Republicans seek independent review of allegations that the NFL sought to improperly influence a government study on the link between football and brain injuries.
• NFL moves to dismiss Hall of Fame Game lawsuit because it was not a party to the contract.
• NFLPA reduces decertification of agent Ben Dogra to a six-month suspension.

MLB

• Five minor league players filed a motion to join the minor league wage lawsuit as named plaintiffs. The plaintiffs also filed a motion for reconsideration, seeking class action status again.
• MLB suspends Padres GM A.J. Preller for failing to disclose medical information when trading Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox.

Sports Gambling and Fantasy Sports

• Dan Roberts writes that America’s gaming lobby is going into overdrive to legalize sports betting. Meanwhile, another season of NFL betting kicks off in Delaware.
• New Jersey wins a different sports gambling lawsuit, this one about football survivor pools.

Best of the Rest

• Dan Werly has a very thorough primer for the Derrick Rose sexual assault trial which is a must-read for those interested in the case. Rose’s accuser spoke to the media on a conference call about the case.  Michael McCann’s take on the conference call.  More from Werly: 5 reasons Rose should settle the case.
• The NHLPA has responded to the NHL’s attempt to vacate the Dennis Wideman arbitration award.
• Both sides in insider-trading case want Phil Mickelson as a witness.
• Rob Harris provides a brief update and discussion on Vijay Singh’s case against the PGA Tour.