Covering the Intersection of Sports and the Law
Johnny Manziel and his rights in the “Johnny Football” nickname continue to provide for interesting discussion. Last week, my sports law class at Quinnipiac Law School discussed Manziel’s lawsuit against an individual selling “Johnny Football” t-shirts. Here are a few of the points that we discussed: 1. Manziel has reportedly brought a number of claims against the t-shirt vendor, […]
ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly has an excellent piece on Johnny Manziel, and the fact that NCAA rules prohibit him from profiting off of the use of his likeness. Reilly questions the logic of the NCAA’s ruling that Manziel can keep the proceeds of a lawsuit, but cannot accept a bagel from a booster. (The so-called “Johnny Football loophole” would not allow for […]
Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has filed suit against a man selling T-shirts that read, “Keep Calm and Johnny Football.” ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell reports that Manziel claims trademark infringement. Manziel’s claim to trademark rights in his nickname, “Johnny Football”, presents an interesting situation under NCAA rules. The NCAA prohibits a student-athlete […]
ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil has written an interesting piece on the fallout from the NCAA’s improper actions in the investigation of the University of Miami. O’Neil examines the situation through the perspective of the NCAA’s treatment of head coaches – the NCAA holds coaches strictly liable for violations committed by their staff, even if they were not […]
On National Signing Day (last Wednesday) Alex Collins was expected to sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play football at Arkansas. However, Collins’ mother, Andrea McDonald, refused to sign the NLI, preferring that her son attend college in their home state of Florida. The next day Collins’ father signed his NLI. His mother hired Johnnie […]
National Signing Day is upon us again in college football. For student-athletes signing their National Letter of Intent (NLI), the day is full of excitement. However, the NLI is undoubtedly a one-sided agreement, drafted by the colleges, for the colleges. When student-athletes got wise, and began negotiating escape clauses in the NLI (such as for when the […]
President Obama, in an interview with Franklin Foer and Chris Hughes of New Republic, discussed the issue of player safety in football. The President stated that, if he had a son, he’d have to “think long and hard before I let him play football.” The comment has attracted much attention, and varied reactions, during this Super Bowl week. San […]
Connecticut continues to be on the cutting edge of NCAA student-athlete rights, again following in the footsteps of California. In 2011, Connecticut followed California by passing the Student-Athletes’ Right to Know Act, which requires transparency in the recruiting process. Last year, California passed the Student-Athletes’ Bill of Rights, which included a provision that would require universities […]
