Covering the Intersection of Sports and the Law
About 10 days ago, Eric Kettani was released from the practice squad of the New England Patriots. The reason for his release: Kettani was called to active duty by the United States Navy. Kettani subsequently reported for duty, but is appealing the Navy’s decision denying him leave to continue his professional football career. According to the Nashua Telegraph, Kettani’s appeal [...]
I was reading Sports Illustrated this weekend and came across Damon Hack’s article about the end of the NFL lockout. Although I am generally tired of hearing about the lockout, especially now that football is back, something caught my eye. Hack focused on the perspective of the fans, and interviewed Brian Frederick and David Goodfriend [...]
The end of the NFL lockout has led to a compressed free agency period that has teams, players and agents working at a furious pace. Here are a few of the most interesting stories on the business and legal aspects of this unique time in the NFL, including the moves of the New England Patriots: [...]
Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich has signed with the New York Giants as a rookie free agent. Herzlich has been an inspirational story since he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma, after his junior season, when he was considered a sure-fire first round draft pick. Herzlich successfully completed treatment and returned to play for Boston College this past [...]
Numerous outlets are reporting that the NFL owners and players have agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. Peter King of SI.com reports that the player representatives from each team have scheduled a conference call at 11 a.m to vote on the deal. King also discusses the highlights of the deal in his Monday [...]
The Recertification of the NFLPA Gabe Feldman has a quick and informative primer on the recertification of the players’ union (NFLPA) on NFL.com: Why do the owners want the players to reform their union? Because of a doctrine known as the “non-statutory labor exemption.” This exemption immunizes the terms of a CBA from attack under antitrust law. Essentially, players are required to choose [...]
John Mackey Passes Away John Mackey, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 69. As a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers, Mackey caught 331 passes for 5,236 yards and 38 touchdowns over 10 seasons. Mackey’s significance went well beyond his substantial on-field accomplishments. He helped found the NFL [...]
