Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons^™

Nfl National Anthem Protests: An Impending Labor Law Violation?, M'Kenzee Galloway

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Deflategate Pumped Up: Analyzing The Second Circuit’S Decision And The Nfl Commissioner’S Authority, Josh Mandel

University of Miami Law Review

Deflategate was one of the most controversial scandals in NFL history, and while many became fascinated due to their love of football, Deflategate was ultimately rooted in law. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback for the New England Patriots, for four games for engaging in “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the game of professional football.” More specifically, Goodell suspended Brady because he was generally aware of Patriots staff deflating footballs prior to the 2015 AFC Championship game, and because he failed to cooperate with the investigation into the deflated footballs.

Commissioner …

Clear Statement Rules And The Integrity Of Labor Arbitration, Stephen Ross, Roy Eisenhardt

Arbitration Law Review

Under the common law, employment contracts are submitted to civil courts to resolve disputes over interpretation, breach, and remedies. As an alternative, parties in collective bargaining agreements, can agree to dispute resolution by an independent arbitrator, whose decision is reviewed deferentially by judges. Where employees or members of an association are governed by its internal rules, in contrast, they often agree contractually to submit internal disputes to an association officer or committee. In this circumstance, the common law governing private associations affords judicial review that is more limited than a civil dispute, but more searching than is the case for …

Conduct Detrimental: Examining The Nfl’S Collective Bargaining Agreement And The Commissioner’S Role Through A Case Study Of Deflategate, David Shyu

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Note will closely examine whether the NFL, specifically its Commissioner, has exceeded its authority in its handling of the recent incident involving allegations of the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady’s role in deflating footballs during a crucial playoff game. The Note will look at the existing the NFL current Collective Bargaining Agreement, and trace the source of the Commissioner’s power. Then it will delve into the details of the case—including the Wells Report and investigation, the arbitration process, and the District Court opinion. The Note will analyze the District Court’s opinion in anticipation of the Second Circuit’s …

Clear Statement Rules And The Integrity Of Labor Arbitration, Stephen F. Ross, Roy Eisenhardt

Journal Articles

Under the common law, employment contracts are submitted to civil courts to resolve disputes over interpretation, breach, and remedies. As an alternative, parties in labor contexts can agree to resolution by an impartial arbitrator, whose decision is reviewed deferentially by judges. Where employees are subject to rules of a private association, they are often contractually obligated to submit their claims to an internal association officer or committee; the common law provides for judicial review more limited than a civil contract but more searching than is the case for an impartial labor arbitrator. Recently, the National Football League and its players …

The Limitation Of Labor Preemption: Survivability Of Contract Rights During Employer Lockouts, Andrew F. Gann, Jr.

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Deflategate: What's The Steelworkers Trilogy Got To Do With It?, Anne M. Lofaso

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Between The Hash Marks: The Absolute Power The Nfl’S Collective Bargaining Agreement Grants Its Commissioner, Eric L. Einhorn

Brooklyn Law Review

The National Football League has recently faced an onslaught of public criticism stemming from its handling of disciplinary matters over the last few years. This note engages in a comparative analysis of the disciplinary processes of the four major professional sports leagues, the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL), to determine why Commissioner Goodell’s disciplinary decisions have received such public criticism and have been challenged by the National Football League Players Association. While examining the cases of Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, this note will address the question of …

The Jocks And The Justice: How Sotomayor Restrained College Athletes, Phillip J. Closius

All Faculty Scholarship

Two judicial opinions have shaped the modem college athletic world. NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma declared the NCAA's exclusive control over the media rights to college football violated the Sherman Act. That decision allowed universities and conferences to control their own media revenue and laid the foundation for the explosion of coverage and income in college football today. Clarett v. NFL held that the provision then in the National Football League's (NFL) Constitution and By-Laws that prohibited players from being eligible for the NFL draft until three years from the date of their high school …

A Battlefield Map For Nfl V. Insurance Industry Re: Concussion Liabilities, Christopher French

Christopher C. French

Sports Scandals From The Top-Down: Comparative Analysis Of Management, Owner, And Athlete Discipline In The Nfl & Nba, Jaimie K. Mcfarlin, Joshua S.E. Lee

Jaimie K. McFarlin

This article serves to discuss the current landscape of professional sports discipline and commissioner power in the NFL & NBA, specifically understanding the discipline of management and ownership in the major leagues as compared to player discipline when franchise ownership interests and commissioner power conflict. Furthermore, these particular events illuminate the differences between discipline in professional sports and non-sports contexts.

Play Ball: What Can Be Done To Prevent Strikes And Lockouts In Professional Sports And Keep The Stadium Lights On, Alexandra Baumann

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This comment analyzes the role that the National Labor Relations Board and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service play in ending strikes and lockouts caused by collective bargaining in professional sports. It then looks at what can be done to prevent lockouts and strikes in the future, which would not only benefit fans, but also stadium employees, players, and owners, as none of them make money if there are no games.

Exploration Of Minimum Age Employment Policies In Professional Sports, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of the paper is to explore the minimum age policies of the Big Four sports leagues in the United States (NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL), and discuss the history of their policies. Emphasis is given to the legal battles waged by Spencer Haywood (NBA) and Maurice Clarett (NFL). A discussion of other sports and their minimum age policies is presented as well. The study and history of relevant antitrust law is incorporated as well.

Legality Of Age Restrictions In The Nba And Nfl, Michael Mccann, Joseph S. Rosen

Law Faculty Scholarship

This essay examines age eligibility rules in the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), offers analysis of related antitrust and labor law issues, and shares perspective on underlying policies. As a matter of background, the NFL and the NBA are the only major sports organizations that prohibit players from entrance until a prescribed period after high school graduation. Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, professional tennis, professional golf, and professional boxing have no such rules. Individuals can also partake in professional acting, theater, music, and other entertainment professions without satisfying a period after high …

Clarett V. National Football League: Defining The Non-Statutory Labor Exception To Antitrust Law As It Pertains To Restraints Primarily Focused In Labor Markets And Restraints Primarily Focused In Business Markets, Ronald Terk Sia

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Contemporary sports have seen an influx of young talent opting for a chance at playing in the big leagues earlier at the expense of obtaining higher education. Many dream of playing professional sports—dreams often prohibited by player eligibility rules. In situations where the restraints are not argued to have been protected by non-statutory labor exception, antitrust law has been seen to set its talons into eligibility rules. […]

Federal antitrust law and national labor law set forth two conflicting policies that have created a periodic drama for sports fans concerned that their favorite sports will suffer a cataclysmic court …

The Empire Strikes Back: Nfl Cuts Clarett, Sacks Scheindlin, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The article explores and the litigation history involving former Ohio State University running back Maurice Clarett and his challenge the the NFL draft-eligibility rule. Though Clarett was successful at the U.S. District Court level, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled differently, thereby preventing Clarett from being eligible for the 2004 NFL draft. Though he was drafted the next year (2005), an exploration of the differences between the trial court (Hon. Schendlin) and the appellate court (J. Sotomayor) opinions is quite interesting and relevant in the context of both antitrust and labor law, particularly the mandatory subjects of a collective …

The Supreme Court Drops The Ball In The N.F.L. Player Dispute, Eric E. Bell

Cleveland State Law Review

The purpose of this article is to offer guidance to courts and attorneys faced with the issue of determining the point in time that the non-statutory labor exemption terminates in the context of NFL labor relations and to propose a system of free agency which might ease this conflict between the League and players. To that end, this article begins by exploring the history of player relations in the NFL, the development of the Union and the subsequent collective bargaining agreements between the Players Association and the League. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of Powell v. NFL and …

The Supreme Court Drops The Ball In The N.F.L. Player Dispute, Eric E. Bell

Cleveland State Law Review

The purpose of this article is to offer guidance to courts and attorneys faced with the issue of determining the point in time that the non-statutory labor exemption terminates in the context of NFL labor relations and to propose a system of free agency which might ease this conflict between the League and players. To that end, this article begins by exploring the history of player relations in the NFL, the development of the Union and the subsequent collective bargaining agreements between the Players Association and the League. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of Powell v. NFL and …