Sports Law • Risk Management

Blogs

July 19, 2010: University Funded Athletics = Layoffs

University funded athletic programs, like that of the University of California, Berkeley, face budget cuts. While many state funded universities are undergoing furloughs and layoffs, its college athletic programs cannot hide from the axe.

July 16, 2010: Global Warming and the Future of Sport and Recreation

Lance Armstrong commented today on the intense heat of the Tour de France and he was not just talking about the competition. Temperatures have climbed to the mid-90’s in the valleys that the cyclists have ridden through. It is July after all. A few decades ago, hot temperatures like this might have been considered a fluke. Now, with global warming upon us, athletes and event organizers have to consider the impact the weather has on sport and recreation.

July 16, 2010: Documented Workers

It is difficult to say just how many undocumented people currently live and work in the United States. But under the heavy scrutiny by politicians of the status of illegal immigrants, this is a reminder to employers to hire documented workers. Even hiring for short-term projects or hiring independent contractors, follow the letter of the law in your hiring practices and hold onto your employment records. No one knows what reform will take place to correct the situation of undocumented people within U.S.

July 15, 2010: The Challenges of the Iroquois Lacrosse Team

The Iroquois Lacrosse Team is deeply disappointed because they will not be able to play in the world championship in the U.K. this week. Although exceptions have been made to allow them to return to the United States using their tribal passports, Britain is refusing to allow entrance. Apparently, they consider the partly handwritten documents to be too risky as they do not have identity fraud prevention features, such as holograms.

July 15, 2010: Motherhood vs. Professional Athlete

How does a woman choose between being at the top of her game or in becoming a mom? One particular sport’s organization help mom’s do both. The L.P.G.A. Tour assists women golfers by providing complimentary day care during domestic events. By supporting moms, the tour can continue to attract the sport’s top athletes.

Sometimes, however, athlete sponsors put indirect pressure on female athletes to avoid pregnancy. Some sponsors impose contract clauses which require an athlete to maintain a certain level of success in athletic competition.

July 14, 2010: Remember George Steinbrenner

“Who else could be a memorable character on a television show without actually appearing on the show? You felt George even though he wasn’t there. That’s how huge a force of personality he was.” ----Jerry Seinfeld

The day after George Steinbrenner past away, an old Seinfeld episode aired, in which he thought that George Costanza was a communist and so Steinbrenner sent him to Cuba to recruit a player. In one show, Steinbrenner actually directed George Costanza to give a speech on risk management. The scene was as follows: