Sports Law Analytics

I have received a number of emails asking me if I would be blogging about the recent American Needle vs. NFL decision.  The answer is “yes.”  However, it won’t happen immediately.  I am currently working on four papers related to the case.  The first if for the next issue of Sports Litigation Alert.  The second is for World Sports Law Report.  The third is for International Journal of Sport Communication.  The fourth is a co-authored piece with Jon Wertheim that explores the intersection between American Needle and the on-going Hamburg v. ATP case.  I will link to one or more of these articles at the appropriate time.

Carl Zimmer explores whether elite-level athletes have better brain functioning.   

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, unrelated teammates on the Minnesota Vikings, have filed an appeal in their ongoing case against the NFL.  Details here.  As a result of the appeal, their suspensions are stayed.  The case has important implications regarding the efficacy of sports-related doping programs.  The case also presents fascinating questions of federal labor law vs. state employee workplace statutes.  As such, I am sure there will be a couple law review articles about the case that will be published later this year or next year. 

Justice Stevens writes for a unanimous court here. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit tossed the so-called “Spygate” lawsuit today.  The full opinion is here.

I leave tomorrow for the Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) annual meeting.  I attended my first SLA meeting in 1998 during my first year of law school.  I also attended in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009.  In addition to having a really strong program, the conference also allows practicing attorneys to earn about 15 CLE credits for attendance.  The opportunity to earn a full year’s worth of required CLEs is quite attractive.  The program for the 2010 conference is here.   

Another tennis player has been found guilty of a doping violation.  Details here.  Since accepting a provisional suspension, I haven’t heard anything further about Wayne Odesnik’s case.  Stay tuned.

UPDATE (5/19/2010) - Wayne Odesnik has been suspended for two years.  Details here. 

An imposter played high school basketball in Texas this past season.  Identity fraud and age fabrication/falsification continues to be a problem.  In the coming months, I will research this issue more, with a particular emphasis on what sports leagues are doing to combat it.  Just like doping, the integrity of sport is at stake. 

The NFL plans to appeal another case to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The case presents some novel/important issues of federal (labor) law vs. state (drug testing) law.  Nevertheless, the cert petition is unlikely to be granted.  Tulane’s Gabe Feldman provides an update. 

This appears to be a weird prank gone wrong.   I don’t know the reporting mechanisms in college golf, but such false reporting of one’s scores would seemingly be against the rules.