This series is a discussion of the legal issues in the sports world amid the novel coronavirus. This is a first for our forum, where each of our contributors will be authoring at least one post, discussing either the sports world now, or what will likely happen in the future, during this unprecedented time. One post will... Continue Reading →
COVID-19’s Legal Ramifications Part 5: Reopening Sports – Predicting Future Liability
This series is a discussion of the legal issues in the sports world amid the novel coronavirus. This is a first for our forum, where each of our contributors will be authoring at least one post, discussing either the sports world now, or what will likely happen in the future, during this unprecedented time. One post will... Continue Reading →
CALLING ALL COACHES: HERE IS HOW TO REDUCE TEAM INJURIES BY 50% (you will be surprised how easy it really is)
Photo Credit: UB Department of Orthopaedics Leslie J. Bisson, MD is not only MD Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University at Buffalo (completing over 1,500 ACL reconstructions), but he is also the team physician for the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres. Dr. Bisson has one simple message for all coaches: preventative... Continue Reading →
2020 NFL CBA: Possible Antitrust Violations?
2020 NFL CBA This past month the NFL membership approved the new CBA, which is likely to result in a decade of labor peace. Many of the changes are monumental (hello 17 game regular season!) however, might some of these changes lead to antitrust violations? One of the most significant changes to the CBA is... Continue Reading →
NIL Following COVID-19
A few months ago, state legislatures were hacking away at the foundations of NCAA “amateurism” by passing laws to allow students athletes to receive compensation for use of their name, image, and likeness. Celebrity athletes such as LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Richard Sherman praise the fall of the NCAA “amateurism” model and look forward... Continue Reading →
COVID-19 AND NFL FREE AGENCY: HOW TO ANTICIPATE THE UNKNOWN
Photo Credit: DynastyLeagueFootball With exciting new moves in Buffalo (hello Stefon Diggs!) the 2020 free agency gave NFL fans a bit of excitement and distraction during these tragic times. However, anyone reading about these moves must wonder what we all have begun wondering when nearly anything happens: how will COVID-19 affect this? The NFL has... Continue Reading →
NFL CBA APPROVED: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The new NFLPA President, J.C. Tretter (a Batavia native!) The deal, which was approved by a margin of 1,019 to 959 will run through the 2030 season and provide a decade of what the NFL calls “labor peace.” More on what this means later . . . Big Changes Facilitated by this CBA 17-game regular... Continue Reading →
A QUESTION WE WISH WE WERE ASKING TODAY: ARE MARCH MADNESS BRACKETS LEGAL?
The moment the Super Bowl is over, I focus on one thing: my March Madness bracket. I am thrilled to watch Mid-March approach and continue tinkering up until the last moment. However, given the safety precautions surrounding COVID-19, the tournament has been cancelled. This marks the first time the annual NCAA Tournament will not be held since... Continue Reading →
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CBA DISCUSSIONS: A LEGAL ANALYSIS
All eyes are on the NFL as the full NFL player body will soon vote on the proposed collective bargaining agreement. In his article summarizing the issues on the table, Dom Cosentino notes the following highlights, to which I have added my own legal analysis. An additional $80 million in payments in the next three... Continue Reading →
Finally Being Fair? Is this NCAA News Too Good to be True?
In a previous article titled “NCAA Transfer Guidelines Look a Lot Like Non-Compete: Another Example of How Student-Athletes are Treated as Employees” I discuss the arcane NCAA transfer guidelines and conclude that the NCAA continues to assert that student-athletes are not employees, however, their rules suggest otherwise. The newest “tightening” of transfer guidelines looks just... Continue Reading →