Few lawyers have reshaped the world of sports as profoundly as Jeffrey L. Kessler, Co-Executive Chairman of Winston & Strawn LLP. Kessler, recognized as one of the nation’s leading antitrust and sports lawyers, has built a career successfully challenging entrenched power structures in professional and collegiate athletics. Finding Sports Law by Chance Kessler did not... Continue Reading →
What happens when the convenience of digital ticketing collides with new legal challenges? That question is now before a federal court in a proposed class action involving Major League Baseball’s Ballpark app. The complaint alleges that fans’ tickets have disappeared from the app and that the league should have stronger protections in place.[1] The lead... Continue Reading →
A baseball made out of money. Laces are still showing through. Intended to show the commercialization of sports. The image has an embedded clipping path. Photo credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/money-baseball Here we are, yet again, with more private equity interest in sports. Major League Baseball has increased private equity ownership interest in its clubs in recent years... Continue Reading →
Photo credit: https://www.si.com/mlb/baseball-officials-considering-salary-cap-floor-cba-negotiations We’ve all heard it a million times. “Small market teams in Major League Baseball can’t compete with the big spenders like the Yankees and Dodgers.” Well, that might be about to change. With a collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December 2026, MLB might be looking at instituting a salary cap.[1]... Continue Reading →
Photo Credit: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/as-washington-renounces-native-american-imagery-pressure-continues-on-remaining-teams/ It seems like it’s a debate as old as time, but again there is controversy regarding a sports team using Native American mascots and imagery. No, it’s not the Atlanta Braves, or the Kansas City Chiefs, or the Chicago Blackhawks, but an obscure high school in the Long Island town of Massapequa.... Continue Reading →
Photo Credit: CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/01/dodgers-deferred-salaries-spark-mlb-salary-cap-questions.html Can you imagine someone owing you in excess of $100 million dollars? And can you imagine having to wait almost a decade to see that money? Well, it happens all the time in Major League Baseball.[1] And not everyone is happy about it. Teams use this method to manipulate the salary... Continue Reading →
Background/Facts On October 31, 2024, the Chicago Cubs entered into an agreement with the United States Justice Department (DOJ) “requiring the team to remediate Wrigley Field by improving accessibility and sight lines for disabled patrons throughout the ballpark — from the bleachers to the premium club seats.”[1] This settlement comes over two years (i.e., beginning... Continue Reading →
Jon Coyles grew up in upstate New York and attended the University of Rochester, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy. A former high school track & field member, Jon continued his love for the sport at the collegiate level, and ran for the Yellowjackets (University of Rochester) varsity team. Coming... Continue Reading →
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a video has emerged from a Colorado Rockies flight. The Rockies hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, posted a video of himself sitting inside the cockpit during a United Airlines team-chartered flight. While the video itself was harmless, the concern comes from the fact that the plane was... Continue Reading →
The Atlanta Braves organization has found itself the subject of an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit. Filed in Georgia federal court, the suit alleges that the organization rejected an IT director candidate because he is deaf.[1] The complainant, Clyde McKinney Jr., is an experienced IT professional who also happens to be deaf. He is... Continue Reading →