A Portland-based band called “The Slants” is playing this week in a venue that seats only 400, but their message will resonate with Washington Redskins fans and fans of other sport entities with racially-charged names and logos. The venue is the Supreme Court of the United States and the band’s message involves a fight for its name. The case is an appeal from a decision … Continue reading Could A Current Supreme Court Case Impact The Redskins’ Federal Trademark Protection?

The turning of a calendar to a new year brings about several truths adults are familiar with:  Gyms are packed with more people and health savings accounts are replenished. Until now, these two occurrences existed independent of each other. However, a legislative push may soon allow Americans to utilize dollars from their health savings accounts or other pre-tax medical accounts to subsidize the costs of … Continue reading Using Health Savings Accounts To Pay For Gym Memberships May Soon Become Reality

The month of October begins with it the heart of the college football season and ends with midnight madness and the first practices for men’s college basketball. At the cusp of this October, however, is particularly significant for the NCAA as it awaits the Supreme Court’s decision as to whether it will grant certiorari and hear O’Bannon v. NCAA. O’Bannon involves an antitrust action brought … Continue reading Is O’Bannon v. NCAA Headed for the Supreme Court?

Last week Tom Brady announced that he will not seek a stay for his suspension and is done with the controversy known as “deflategate.” While there is still a possibility that the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) could continue with a request for United States Supreme Court review, the odds of the Court granting that request and hearing the case are very slight. For … Continue reading An Obituary For The NFL’s Greatest Nontroversy: The Legacy Of Deflategate

The costs associated with getting tattooed have gone up, dramatically, for celebrity athletes and the commercial brands that include athlete images in products and advertisements. There exists a growing trend of tattoo artists suing product brands and marketers for including the images of the athletes tattooed by the artists in products and advertisements. The tattoo artists base their claims in copyright law and assert that … Continue reading Should Top Athletes Be Able To Copyright Their Tattoos?

Tom Brady and his legal team were backed by Brady’s football team this week when the New England Patriots filed an amicus curie (friend of the court) brief in support of Brady’s request for rehearing in the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals. Brady and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) have requested an en banc rehearing of a 2-1 decision by the 2nd … Continue reading Despite Support From His Team, Brady Remains The Underdog In Deflategate

After an arbitration panel upheld 162 games of a 211-game suspension previously levied by MLB, Alex Rodriguez sued MLB, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and MLBPA.  In the lawsuit brought in federal court, Rodriguez raises three claims:  breach of the duty of fair representation by MLBPA, breach of the collective bargaining agreements by MLB and vacatur of the arbitration award.  Overall, Rodriguez seeks … Continue reading Does A Federal Lawsuit Pave The Best Path For Alex Rodriguez To Get Back Onto The Baseball Diamond?