[1] Last week, Allegheny County Judge Christine Ward struck down a fee levied by the City of Pittsburgh against visiting professional athletes’ wages, calling the fee an unconstitutional tax under Pennsylvania law.[2] The fee was originally challenged in court in November 2019, spearheaded by three athletes, including New York Islanders right-winger Kyle Palmieri, former Pittsburgh... Continue Reading →
[1] Oxford Pennant, a designer and manufacturer of pennants, flags, and banners located in Buffalo, New York[2], has accused fellow Buffalo-based company New Era Cap Company of using a “Shout!” logo that Oxford Pennant claims it designed and has been selling for the last two years since 2020.[3] Oxford Pennant was surprised when it saw... Continue Reading →
[1] Robert Sarver, owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, has been suspended for one year and fined $10 million by the NBA as a result of an investigation that was commissioned after ESPN published a story in November 2021 detailing allegations of racist, misogynistic, and hostile incidents over his nearly... Continue Reading →
[1] LIV Golf has joined a group of its players — including Major champions Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau— in an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.[2] Backed by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, the upstart series is further escalating its bitter struggle for the hearts, minds, and wallets of golf fans.[3] In August,... Continue Reading →
[1] Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and world-renown rapper Drake are accused in a new $10 million lawsuit of stealing the intellectual property rights to a documentary film — “Black Ice” — about the old, segregated Canadian hockey league for black players.[2] This past week, Billy Hunter, former longtime head of the NBA Players... Continue Reading →
[1] Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended six games of the 2022 season without pay by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on the use of performance-enhancing drugs.[2] The suspension comes after Hopkins tested positive for a prohibited substance plus a diuretic or masking agent to substitute, dilute, adulterate, or... Continue Reading →
[i] Mark Emmert’s 12-year tenure as the president of the NCAA is coming to an end by June 30, 2023, or sooner if the NCAA board members find his successor before then.[ii] During his tenure as president, Emmert and the NCAA have been criticized for mismanaging just about everything, from fighting an outdated amateurism collegiate... Continue Reading →
[1] The University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights football program promoted the social media accounts of their players in a unique way during its 2022 spring game in Orlando. The backs of the UCF football players’ jerseys featured something unique to the world of college sports but ever-present in our technology-driven lives: QR codes. Spring... Continue Reading →
[i] Controversy has followed the Washington Commanders and the team’s owner Dan Snyder over the past few years. In July, the Commanders received a $10 million fine and Snyder ceded control of the team’s day-to-day operations to his wife, Tanya Snyder, following the NFL’s investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace.[ii] During this ongoing investigation... Continue Reading →
[1] The world-famous neon lights of the iconic Las Vegas Strip will provide the backdrop to Formula 1’s newest race when Sin City hosts the Las Vegas Grand Prix next November in 2023. It will be one of three races hosted in the United States, joining the Miami Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix... Continue Reading →