SFS FLASHBACKS | SPANISH BASKETBALL | DRAZEN PETROVIC

Found this priceless video on "youtube" (thanks to "CroPETROforever") of when REAL MADRID ruled SPANISH BASKETBALL. That reign ( the 80s) was made even more glorious thanks to Croatian DRAZEN PETROVIC who was the finest European Basketball Player that I have ever seen in Spanish or European Basketball

The player left Real Madrid for the NBA (USA), being a poineer to open the way for other

SPANISH FOOTBALL | ROUND 25 MONDAY NIGHT REUSLT | MALAGA 3 ALMERIA 1

The Spanish Football League ended Round 25 with the Monday Night LIGA match between MALAGA & ALMERIA with the victory going 3 - 1 to the home team. A desperate win for Malaga who are bottomed placed & need all the points they can muster up to attempt to get out & not get caught in the relegation zone.



Malaga - Almeria: Spanish Soccer 2011

It was Almeria that looked good early & was playing

DePaul's Friday Symposium on Compliance in Chicago

This Friday, the DePaul Journal of Sports Law and Contemporary Problems hosts "A Rule is a Rule: Compliance in the World of Sports." The presenters include Timothy Epstein, Marc Edelman, and myself. 2.75 hours of CLE is available for attorneys and a reduced rate admission is offered for law students from other area schools. Here's the event description:

The DePaul Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems will host its annual sports law symposium, A Rule is a Rule: Compliance in the World of Sports, on March 4th, 2011. During this event, panelists will discuss a variety of legal issues currently arising in the world of sports. In line with our organization’s mission statement, the symposium will investigate the intersection between law and sports with a focus on today's most important sports law issues, and discuss the contemporary problems that result.

Last year, our symposium was a great success. In fact, our symposium was recently acknowledged at the prestigious National Sports Law Institute Conference as being “an excellent Conference.” Panelists at our previous conference included representatives from the National Football League, the Big Ten Conference, the Chicago Cubs, and notable professors from Sports Law academia.

This year we are striving to hold another highly successful symposium to uphold the tradition. Our panelists will include compliance experts from universities, as well as scholars who have written and taught on the subject.

Compliance is a very broad topic. In the legal field, our entire careers focus on compliance with rules, whether they be federal law, state law, or bylaws within an organization. This symposium will explore issues of compliance that are particularly relevant in sports. We will have two panels: the first panel will focus on compliance in college sports, while the second panel will address compliance in professional sports

The event is being held at the University Center (525 S. State), a few blocks south of DePaul's law school.

More Sports Law Links

As a follow-up to Mike's recent post with a number of sports law links, I wanted to provide a few more, as there have been a number of interesting developments in our field.

1. 60 Minutes ran a story on legendary Vegas-based sports gambler Billy Walters last month. The video clips provide a fascinating look into the world of high stakes "white collar" sports gambling.

2. Did Jose Canseco's admitted steroid use rub off on other MLB players? Eric Gould and Todd Kaplan analyze Canseco's "peer effects" in a forthcoming issue of Labour Economics.

3. Patrick Hruby of ESPN.com explains why lawyers "always get [the] last laugh in sports, as in life."

4. Ben McGrath of The New Yorker asks - "Does football have a future?" McGrath's article looks at the "concussion crisis" in the NFL. In the latter part of the article, he mentions the possibility of imminent class action lawsuits.

5. The conventional wisdom in sports gambling is that sports books try to set their poinspreads (sides) and totals (over/unders) as a conservative/guaranteed way to profit. Steve Levitt (co-author of Freakonomics) cast doubt on such strategy in an oft-cited 2004 paper published in The Economic Journal. Rodney Paul and Andy Weinbach provide empirical support for the "Levitt hypothesis" in a new article in Applied Economics Letters.

6. Was Congress complicit in connection with baseball's antitrust exemption? Neil Longley examines Senate voting patters in a forthcoming Applied Economics Letters piece.

SPANISH FOOTBALL LEADING GOAL SCORER - EL PICHICHI - AFTER ROUND 25 SEASON 2010-2011

Firstly , please accept my apologies for the Spanish Football League Leading Goal-scorer "widget" on the right hand side. I have contacted the Football website that they are not updating the goal scoring tally & they have not responded. The site in question -  "Footbo.com" -  has been losing its "attraction" for some months with some poor service that leaves you wondering why they are still

REAL MADRID | KAKA | PATIENCE IS WEARING THIN

Some say that KAKA came from AC MILAN with injury. Some say that the Brazilian had the 2010 World Cup as his main objective with Brazil & thus placed REAL MADRID as a secondary obligation. The last accusation is out of line & I personally doubt it 100 % , but here are some numbers from the ex FIFA World Player:

9 goals from 33 games ( 8 in 25 Liga matches; 1 in 7 Champions League)



Kaka with

ROUND 25 SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

SPANISH FOOTBALL action this Sunday via LA LIGA & its Round 25 with four matches scheduled. Here is a brief summary of events, the results & the scorers.



Caicedo scores for Levante

LEVANTE settled their game with OSASUNA in 10 explosive minutes with a 2 -1 victory. The game reached its maximum height in the 41st min when PANDIANI put Osasuna ahead. Then Levante reacted in deadly fashion with

Kettlebell Snatch Dominator - Logan Christopher

Check out Logan Christopher of Legendary Strength and KettlebellSnatch.net doing 301 snatches in 10 min with the 24kg Kettlebell - wow!



The event of Logan hitting the magic 301 number has meant he is about to release his brilliant Kettlebell Snatch Domination course - a must have for those of us who want to push our kettlebell snatch numbers to their limits!!

I already have this excellent 3 hour DVD set and must say I believe it will be the Definitive Kettlebell Snatch Video Encyclopedia for sometime to come.

Logan has created some great free videos for those who may be interested in Kettlebell Snatch Domination

You'd be a fool not to check it out.

Later on this week I'll also be having another crack at the 10min 24kg kettlebell snatch test. I think my best ever stands at something like 212 quite some time back, so watch this space.

Sunday Sports Law Links

* Mark Cuban wonders why more superstar U.S. teenage basketball players don't go play professionally in Europe, where players can be as young as 14 and earn lucrative contracts. The NBA, as we know, requires that U.S. players be 19-years-old and one-year removed from high school before they are eligible to play.

The European route was clearly successful for Brandon Jennings, who played professionally in Italy for one-year before becoming eligible for the 2009 NBA draft. Jennings earned about $1.2 million in Italy between salary and endorsement income -- obviously more than he would have "earned" while playing as a freshman in college, assuming he had overcome his eligibility issues.

The international experience has been much less successful for 6'11 power forward Jeremy Tyler, however. Tyler skipped his senior year of high school and struggled playing professionally in Israel in 09-10. Then again, Tyler has been much more impressive this season while playing in Japan's pro basketball league--a league which has former NBA players in it, including Bruce Bowen and Jerold Honeycutt. Tyler is averaging an efficient 9 points, 6 rebounds and 14 minutes per game while drawing consistent praise from his coach. Tyler is eligible for this year's NBA draft -- his recent improvement in play, not to mention impressive size and athletic ability, probably will land him on an NBA roster next season.

* * *

* Shira Springer of the Boston Globe has an excellent preview of this week's MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference (hat tip to Warren Zola). I will be speaking at the conference on the Sports Labor Relations panel.

* * *

* How would you like to study international sports law in Florence, Italy over the summer and get law school credit for it? The South Texas College of Law is sponsoring a study abroad program in Florence between June 3 and June 25 that will focus on two courses: international amateur sports law and international professional sports law. NFL agent/attorney and former NFL player Ralph Cindrich is one of the instructors, as is South Texas College of Law prof James Musselman. Sounds like an awesome experience to me.

* * *

* Last year I wrote a guest column on Torts Prof Blog on the tort implications of "game presentation" -- the various things stadium operators do to keep fans interested during games, including on-court and on-field promotions -- in the context of Coomer v. Kansas City Royals, a lawsuit filed by a guy who while attending a Royals game was injured by a hot dog that had been propelled by the Royals Mascot as part of a promotion. A couple of weeks ago, the Royals lost a motion for summary judgment in the case. Carla Varriale of Athletic Business Network has the story on the Royals' inability to get rid of the case and what it means for game presentation.

* * *

* I was interviewed on the Dennis and Callahan Show on WEEI Boston last week to talk about legal issues involving Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and DJ Henry (a Pace football player who was shot and killed by a police officer in a terrible misunderstanding of a situation). I also spoke with Drew Forresster of WNST Baltimore about Bonds, Clemens and the NFL labor crisis, and how NBA players might be in a better position than NFL players when it comes to being locked out: some NBA players, particularly the stars, will have opportunities to go play in Europe and earn considerable $$, while playing with and against legitimate talent (while European basketball may not be as "good" as the NBA, it's far better than the D League or some other minor league).

* * *

* NBA Deputy commissioner Adam Silver claims that three-quarters of NBA teams are losing money, even though NBA television ratings are way up this season.

* * *

* UConn men's basketball coach has been suspended by the NCAA for the first three games of next season. The Hartford Courant's Paul Doyle has the story and interviews, among others, Connecticut Sports Law's Dan Fitzgerald.

* * *

* Do Male Athletes have Body-Image Problems? Admittedly, that's not a question I've thought much about, or maybe at all, but Libby Sander of The Chronicle of Higher Education explains why it's an interesting topic and why new research on the topic may shed light on behavior issues with male athletes.

* * *

* Before the Red Sox offered 29-year-old outfielder Carl Crawford a 7-year, $142 million contract this past off season, they obviously did their due diligence on him. After-all, the contract is fully guaranteed and the financial commitment being made is enormous, especially for a player who will turn 30 this season and whose game is based to a large extent on his speed. As Gordon Edes of ESPN.boston points out, the Red Sox took due diligence to a such a point that it creeped out Crawford:

[Red Sox Assistant GM] Allard Baird, who oversees the club's pro scouting department, was assigned to scout Crawford for most of the second half of the 2010 season.

"I knew they were scouting me," Crawford said. "Coaches would tell me this guy asked about you, or that guy."

But he said he had no inkling they were monitoring him off the field, too.

"I definitely look over my shoulder now a lot more than what I did before," he said. "Just when he told me that, the idea of him following me everywhere I go, was kind of, I wasn't comfortable with that at all.

"I don't know how they do it, how much distance they keep from you when they watch you the whole time. I definitely check my back now, at least 100 yard radius. I'm always looking over my shoulder now. Now I look before I go in my house. I'd better not see anything suspicious now."

Kind of reminds of me when the NBA "ordered its security forces" to more closely follow NBA players off-the-court.

SPANISH FOOTBALL ROUND 25 SATURDAY GAMES RESULTS & SURPRISE

SPANISH FOOTBALL action tonight with five matches scheduled as part of Round 25 of the La Liga.


A 0 - 0 draw result between REAL SPORTING DE GIJON & REAL ZARAGOZA with both teams taking a point each. Not much to really add here at all.



Atletico de Madrid - Sevilla FC

Great game between ATLETICO DE MADRID & SEVILLA FC with a 2 -2 draw. It was end to end stuff with the home side having to

ATLETICO DE MADRID MAKES 18M€ OFFER FOR LAMEAL OF RIVER PLATE ?

ATLETICO DE MADRID is a fascinating Club. While there is a debate to whether the Clubs debt is +700€ o +182M€ ( a big difference) an issue that has the Club in courts against those who published the first, the Spanish Football Club is reported from Argentina to have made a 18M€ offer to RIVER PLATE for their "creative" midfielder LAMELA.



Lamela in action

The 19 year old is also said by media

REAL MADRID FOLLOWING JAVI MARQUEZ OF RCD ESPANYOL ?

According to Spanish Sports paper "AS", REAL MADRID is following RCD ESPANYOL player JAVI MARQUEZ. Apparently the player left a "glowing" impression on Real Madrid Coach José Mourinho last time both teams played & he has asked his "men" to follow the Espanyol player.



Javi Marquez  Spanish Football talent

The 24 year old has many Clubs interested, from Valencia to Clubs in the English Premier

Peter Carfagna's Negotiating and Drafting Sports Venue Agreements

Our friend and colleague Peter Carfagna, who teaches sports law at Harvard Law School and has a long and storied career in the industry, has written his third sports law book: Negotiating and Drafting Sports Venue Agreements (West, 2011).

His two other sports law books -- Sports and the Law: Examining the Legal Evolution of American's Three 'Major Leagues" (West, 2009) and Representing the Professional Athlete (West, 2009) -- are also excellent.

Peter's new book provides outstanding insight on the drafting of sports venue agreements, including naming rights agreements, media rights contracts, food and beverage agreements, and sponsorship deals with state-operated entities. It also includes complete model agreements of these types of contracts. I very much enjoyed reading the book and will no doubt be referring to it.

Here's the official description of Negotiating and Drafting Sports Venue Agreements:

In addition to being an engaging teaching tool for instructors teaching drafting practices for sports venue agreements, this book is valuable to any sports law practitioner wanting to learn more about these state-of-the-art drafting practices. Beginning with the drafting of the seminal lease agreement, the book leads the reader through a series of best-practices drafting techniques for every major sports venue–related agreement, including naming rights agreements; presenting sponsorship agreements; media rights and concessions agreements; and agreements with state-operated entities. Hypothetical drafting exercises are included in each chapter for classroom use.

Traveling Violations

This week the University of Tennessee released the NCAA’s “Notice of Allegations” against its football and men’s basketball team, outlining eleven violations. Both current men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and former (albeit brief) football coach Lane Kiffin were cited for multiple violations. While many are predicting sanctions against the University of Tennessee, Bruce Pearl, and possibly the Director of Athletics Mike Hamilton, what is interesting is whether the NCAA will impose further sanctions on Lane Kiffin now that he is the head football coach at USC.

Historically, coaches have left town before the NCAA hammer comes down, often resulting in infractions on the school and players left behind but not on the coach himself—John Calipari anyone? However, on occasion the NCAA has imposed penalties on coaches themselves even if they are employed at a new school. In the NCAA’s Manual, Bylaw 19.5 gives the NCAA the right to impose penalties on either an institution or individual—with no restrictions on whether that individual is still at the institution at which they committed the infraction.

This has happened at least twice within the last decade. Specifically, Rick Neuheisel was punished in 2002 while at the University of Washington for violations he was deemed to have made at the University of Colorado. More recently, in 2008 Kelvin Sampson was punished while at Indiana University for conduct he engaged in while at the University of Oklahoma.

It will be interesting to follow whether or not the NCAA will impose some form of punishment on Lane Kiffin now that he is in charge of the football program at USC. If this does happen, does USC have a claim against Kiffin and/or the University of Tennessee?

VILLAREAL 2 NAPOLES 1 | VILLAREAL GO THROUGH TO KEEP THE SPANISH FLAG FLYING

Fantastic news for Spanish Football as VILLAREAL won 2 - 1 Italian Club NAPOLES to go on in the EUROPA LEAGUE competition. It was never going to be easy & the Italians put up a good game & fight but were overcome by a more determined & better Villareal.



Nilmar scores for Villareal

The Italian team via TAMSIK scored first in the 16th min to make us all wonder if the Spanish team could pull

OPORTO 0 SEVILLA 1 | SEVILLA FC ELIMINATED FROM THE EUROPA LEAGUE

SEVILLA FC was always going to find things very difficult at Portugal after losing 1 - 2 in the 1º leg of their EUROPA LEAGUE clash with OPORTO. Tonight they managed to win the 2º leg match against Oporto 0 - 1 but was eliminated. The away leg result was not enough for the Spanish Club & leave the competition with their heads high although that won´t matter much now with the elimination so fresh

Sports Law Career Opportunity

The San Diego Padres are currently looking to hire an Associate General Counsel with 3-5 years of general corporate and transactional legal experience. For more information about the position, check out this post at AboveTheLaw, or view Position # 7921 at the recruiting website Lateral Link.

OLYMPIQUE LYON 1 REAL MADRID 1 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º ST LEG RESULT

REAL MADRID managed to leave Lyon with a valuable 1 - 1 draw in their 1º leg clash with French Club OLYMPIQUE LYON in CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. Finally the Spanish side manage to score a goal at Lyon & it was a Frenchman from Lyon that had to break the "bad luck" spell.



Benzema scores for Real Madrid

The first half goes to Lyon as they suffocated Real Madrid with pressure Football, with a very

Circumventing MLB's Waiver Rules

As several media outlets are reporting, the Boston Red Sox included an unusual provision in their recent contract with left handed pitcher Andrew Miller (pictured), in an apparent, creative attempt to circumvent Major League Baseball's complex waiver rules. Specifically, the Red Sox signed Miller to a minor league deal for 2011, with a $3 million club option for the 2012 season. However, the contract stipulates that the $3 million option will immediately vest should Miller be claimed on waivers by another team.

Because Miller signed a minor league contract, the Red Sox can assign him to one of their minor league affiliates to begin the season (most likely their AAA team in Pawtucket). However, if Boston recalls Miller to the majors at some point this year, the Red Sox can only reassign him to the minor leagues if Miller first clears waivers, giving the other 29 MLB teams the chance to claim him for their own major league roster. By giving Miller a relatively expensive vesting option in the event that he is claimed on waivers, the Red Sox appear to hope that other clubs will be deterred from claiming Miller should he end up on the waiver wire.

While Miller's contract may not violate the letter of the MLB rules, it does appear to violate at least the spirit of the waiver system. MLB's waiver process serves two general purposes: first, the rules are intended to protect minor league players by providing them with an opportunity to play for another major league team should their current franchise fail to offer them a major league roster spot; second, the waiver system also helps to enhance competitive balance across the league by preventing major league teams from stockpiling young talent in their minor league systems.

As Dave Cameron over at FanGraphs notes, Miller's specific case does not seem to be at odds with the waiver system's first purpose, as Miller willingly signed off on the provision in order to increase his chances of remaining in the Red Sox's organization for the entire season. However, should this strategy catch on with other teams, it is possible that future minor league players will be coerced into signing similar contracts even though they would prefer to retain an unencumbered chance of being claimed on waivers by another team.

Moreover, Miller's contract appears to be inconsistent with the second purpose of the waiver system, as the Red Sox have created a disincentive for other teams to claim Miller off waivers, increasing the chances that Boston will maintain control over a player that they cannot presently use, but one who another team might need for the 2011 season.

Accordingly, I suspect that MLB will consider revising its rules in order to close this loophole in the future.

ARSENAL FC SIGNS JON TORAL 16 YEAR OLD FC BARCELONA PEARL

There was a very heated arguement last week in the VIP Boxes of the "Emirates Stadium" (London) between FC BARCELONA President Sandro Rosell & ARSENAL FC Chief Executive Ivan Gazdis before the Champions League match between both Clubs. The cause of the anger was 16 year old FC BARCELONA junior midfield player JON MIQUEL TORAL HARPER 





Jon Toral Harper



ARSENAL FC has signed the player for

REAL SOCIEDAD 1 REAL MALLORCA 0 | SPANISH FOOTBALL ROUND 24 MONDAY NIGHT RESULT

There was Spanish Football action last night in the now habitual Monday night & last game of Round 24 of the Spanish League - La Liga. Firstly , excuse me readers & fans for not posting the result last night as was out & got back late :O)




Raul Tamudo scores winner for Real Sociedad


REAL SOCIEDAD was last year were in 2º Division & now is 8th on the Spanish Football League table just 3º

Buzzin':Bells and Beach

Had a good double training session today.
First session was the usual lunch time session - today was 160 snatches with the 24 kg kettlebell. I've been concentrating on the 16kg bell mostly of late.

Followed that with an erg (Concept2) session down at the rowing club (Scarborough seafront) after work, really blew some cobwebs off with that!

Topped it off with a shed load of 20mm sets with the Vulcan Gripper when I got home.
Feeling good!

NFL Labor Negotiations: Are We Headed for the Doomsday Scenario?

I have a new column up over at the Huffington Post that takes a closer look at what might happen as we get closer to a lockout in the NFL. Here is an excerpt. You can find the full column here… And, if you are looking for a summary of the major work stoppages in pro sports history, you can click here…

********

It's all a guessing game at this point, but what is the likelihood of an extended work stoppage?

As we get closer to the expiration of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the great unanswered questions remain: Will there be a work stoppage? And, if so, how long will it last? It's anyone's guess as to when the two sides will reach an agreement (and everyone is guessing), but looking back at the past is often a good way to predict the future. And, a closer look at the "doomsday" work stoppages of the past -- where at least one regular season game was canceled -- reveals a fairly clear trend. Significant work stoppages occurred when one side was looking for a sea change--some radical transformation of the relationship between the parties. For example, in 1998-99, the NBA owners insisted on (and got) a cap on maximum player salaries. The owners locked out the players and 464 total games were canceled, including the NBA All-Star Game. In 1994-95, the MLB owner insisted on (and did not get) a salary cap. The players went on strike and 920 games were canceled, including the postseason and the World Series. In the best professional sports work stoppage movie of all time, the 2000 movie The Replacements (the Detroit News raved, "it's better than average"), professional football players went on strike late in the season, apparently because of "salary disputes" (it's not clear who got what, but Shane Falco did save the day).

And, most recently, in 2004-2005, the NHL owners insisted on (and got) a salary cap. The owners locked out the players and the entire season was cancelled, including the playoffs and the Stanley Cup. Other lengthy work stoppages were caused by fights regarding basic rights of free agency for the players. In each of these cases, one side claimed that the current system was broken (see the chart here for more details).

In the current negotiations, we're not dealing with fights over the creation of free agency or the implementation of a salary cap. The players have free agency and the owners have a cap. But, are the owners asking for a sea change? That's a difficult question. One could make an argument that the NFL's latest proposal for a rookie wage scale--which could actually impact a majority of NFL players--would represent something close to a sea change. But, despite the NFL's proposal, it's difficult for anyone to argue--even the owners--that the system is broken. The NHL owners were willing to cancel an entire season because they believed they lost less money by not playing games than by playing games. That is certainly not the situation facing the owners and their multi-billion dollar television deals.

So, if the past is any guide, we may not be looking at a major work stoppage for the NFL...

OBAMA AT ATLETICO DE MADRID | FUTURE PROMISE

Did you know ATLETICO DE MADRID has OBAMA? No, not US President Barack Obama, but SALOMON BARACK ( 04.02.2000) a young Football player from African country Equatorial Guinea, a Spanish speaking nation which was an ex-Spanish colony.

The 11 year old kid is a goal scoring machine & is looking like heading towards bigger things after Atletico de Madrid defeated Real Madrid 3 - 5 yesterday big "

GOALKEEPER ARANZUBIA DEPOR SCORES GOAL AGAINST ALMERIA | SPANISH FOOTBALL ROUND 24

Here is the video of Goalkeeper DANI ARANZUBIA scoring the equalizer for DEPORTIVO in the 95th min against ALMERIA. It was a Round 24 match of the Spanish Football League - La Liga & Almeria was about to take the victory with a 1 - 0 lead. The Deportivo goalkeeper kicks out of this area & flies the ball into the Almeria goal area were it gets an Almeria deflection & onto to a last corner for

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA | ROUND 24 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

SPANISH FOOTBALL action this Sunday with six matches on the calendar for Round 24 of the Spanish League - La Liga. Lets examine the games with a brief summary of results & the scorers. 



Villareal let slip three points

VILLAREAL drew with bottom placed MALAGA 1 - 1 & allowed the three points to slip through their fingers. Villareal played much better but paid dearly for not transforming their

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LIGA RESULTS | ROUND 24 SATURDAY GAMES

Three games celebrated tonight as part of Round 24 of Spanish Football League - La Liga. Lets take a brief look at events, the results & the scorers in tonight's matches.



Valencia CF - Sporting Gijon 

VALENCIA CF could not manage to break the REAL SPORTING DE GIJON defensive wall & finished with a 0 - 0 draw. Sporting showed that their draw with FC Barcelona last week was not a fluke &

Book Review: Scorecasting

I was fortunate to get a copy of Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won, and it is a book that I have been enjoying immensely.

The book is like the freakonomics of the sports world... it looks at common assumptions in sports (homefield advantage, does defense win championships?, why coaches don't go for it on 4th down, etc) and why they are correct or incorrect. It gives strong statistical backup for all of their beliefs.

As a sports fan that also loves numbers (I am an accountant by trade), it has been a fascinating read. I have learned a lot about these commonly held beliefs, and certainly it will provide at least subtle changes to how I view sports and how I think about them.

If you like sports and like numbers, then I am confident in saying that you will enjoy this book.

Hunter Pence in the Final Arbitration Hearing of the Year

The Astros have won their past four arbitration hearings prior to Friday’s hearing with Hunter Pence. The Astros defeated Wandy Rodriguez last year and Mark Loretta and Jose Valverde in 2008. In 1997 they won against Darryl Kile. They last lost a hearing against Rick Wilkins in 1996. Both the Wilkins and Kile hearings were decided by arbitrator Morton Mitchnick back before all of the hearings were handled by three arbitrators.

With a midpoint between the two exchanged figures in the Pence case of $6,025,000 (Astros offered $5,150,000, and Pence requested $6,900,000), the difference is $1,750,000. The Astros were represented at the Pence hearing by David Gottfried (assistant general manager), Tal Smith (president of baseball operation), and Ed Wade (general manager). Smith has an impressive career representing management in hearings.

Margaret Brogan, Robert Herzog, and Fredric Horowitz will decide the case. Herzog was a panelist on all three hearings this year, and his career panel record is 2-1. Brogan has the most experience with ten, and she has a 5-4 record favoring the teams. Horowitz is 3-3.

With the gap this large and Smith’s track record, I am inclined to give the nod to the Astros again.

Here is a complete list of the Astros in arbitration according to my research -

Team Wins (8) - Bill Dawley (1986), Frank DiPino (1986), Bill Doran (1987), Darryl Kile (1997), Mark Loretta (2008), Al Osuna (1994), Wandy Rodriguez (2010), and Jose Valverde (2008).

Player Wins (6) - Joaquin Andujar (1980), Kevin Bass (1987), Glenn Davis (1989), Joe Sambito (1980), Denny Walling (1987), and Rick Wilkins (1996).

The 2011 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

The premier sports business and sports industry event each year is the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, which is held in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

The event this year will be held on two days - March 4 and 5 -- and will feature such speakers as author Malcolm Gladwell, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Patriots CEO Jonathan Kraft, Maple Leafs President Brian Burke, and ESPN NBA analyst and former head coach Jeff Van Gundy, among many others. The lead organizers of the event are Houston Rockets GM (and former MIT Sloan professor) Daryl Morey and Krafts Sports Group VP of Customer Marketing and Strategy Jessica Gelman. There are many student organizers as well. They really put together a first rate event.

I'll be a panelist on the The Coming War: Sports Labor Relations panel. We'll be discussing the NFL and NBA labor crises. Here is more information on the panel:

The Coming War: Sports Labor Relations

With looming lockouts in both the NBA and NFL, panelists will discuss the legal implications of reaching a deal. With the changing economics of the game, these CBAs will have to be more creative from a legal sense than ever before. How can both sides reach an agreement to avoid missing an entire season?

Russ Granik
Vice Chairman - Galatioto Sports Partners

Russ Granik, former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, joined Galatioto Sports Partners, one of the leading firms in the sports finance and advisory business, as Vice Chairman in October 2006. He was a guiding force in helping to establish the National Basketball Association as the most popular sports league in the world. Mr. Granik represented the league in a wide range of successful projects, such as collective bargaining agreements, television contracts and the NBA’s involvement in international competition, including the last five Olympics, as a member of USA Basketball.

Mr. Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney. He became Assistant General Counsel in 1978 and General Counsel in 1980. When David J. Stern was elected NBA Commissioner in 1984, he named Mr. Granik to succeed him as Executive Vice President. In 1990, Mr. Granik was elected Deputy Commissioner by the NBA Board of Governors.

During his tenure, Mr. Granik participated in every major business negotiation on behalf of the NBA and was also the chief negotiator for the league in collective bargaining that resulted in agreements with the National Basketball Players Association in 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From 1996-2000, he served as the President of USA Basketball, the United States’ national governing body for international basketball competition. From 1989-96, he was a Vice President of USA Basketball and, in that role, was instrumental in working out the details of the participation of NBA players beginning with the 1992 Olympics. In November 2005, Mr. Granik received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to international basketball.

Mr. Granik served two terms (2003-2007) as Chairman of the Board of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, where he has been a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee since 1984, and he is also a member of the Board of Athletes for Hope.

Effective November 1, 2010, Mr. Granik was retained by ESPN as its Labor Analyst, providing on-air commentary on current collective bargaining issues in professional sports.

Mr. Granik graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1973. He was associated with the law firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York before joining the NBA.

Jackie MacMullan - Moderator
Columnist - ESPN

Jackie MacMullan is an ESPN analyst who spent nearly 20 years as a beat writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. She worked on Sports Illustrated’s staff from 1995-2000 and has written three books, including “When the Game Was Ours”, which chronicled the rivalry of Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson. MacMullan was recently named the first female recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award, given by the Naismith Basketball Hallof Fame for “outstanding career achievement in writing basketball.”

MacMullan is a cum laude graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she played four years of basketball, leading the team in scoring as a sophomore, and serving as a team captain in her senior year. She was chosen as a recipient of both the Robert Perry Student-Athlete Award and the Dean Williamson Award, given to the student who “excels in scholarship, athletics and loyalty to the University.”

Mike McCann
Legal Analyst - Sports Ilustrated

Michael McCann is an Associate Professor of Law at Vermont Law School, where he teaches sports law, business law, and administrative law courses. He is also a Legal Analyst for Sports Illustrated and the “Sports and the Law” Columnist on SI.com.
Professor McCann is also co-founder of the Harvard Law School Project on Law and Mind Sciences and the Distinguished Visiting Hall of Fame Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law, where he was an Assistant Professor of Law between 2005 and 2008 and where he now teaches a sports law class every summer. During his three-year tenure at Mississippi, Professor McCann was twice honored with the Professor of the Year Award and he received the Professor of the Year for First-Year Courses Award in all three years. He was also honored by his colleagues with the Shirley Norwood Jones Faculty Award in 2008.

In the fall 2008 semester, Professor McCann was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at Boston College Law School. He also served as Chair of the Association of American Law School’s Section on Sports and the Law in 2008.

Prior to becoming a law professor in 2005, Professor McCann served as counsel to college football star Maurice Clarett in his lawsuit against the National Football League and its age eligibility rule. He also served as a Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School and Legal Counsel to U.S. Congressman Marty Meehan.

A Massachusetts native, Professor McCann received his LL.M. from Harvard Law School (2005), his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law (2002), and his B.A. from Georgetown University (1998). Professor McCann has been interviewed on HBO’s “Bob Costas Now”; CNN’s “The Glenn Beck Show”, “American Morning”, and “Headline News”; CNBC’s “Morning Call” and “Power Lunch”; and the Jim Rome Show. He has also been interviewed on NPR, BBC, the Dan Patrick Show, and by the New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, and Business Week.

Tom Penn
NBA Analyst - ESPN

Tom Penn is an NBA Analyst on ESPN where he is regularly featured as a basketball operations expert focussing on advanced analytics, salary capology, NBA Draft, player trades and collective bargaining issues. During the free agency frenzy of 2010, Penn operated ESPN’s cutting edge “cap machine” on SportsCenter where he manipulated a one-of-a-kind touchscreen to illustrate potential destinations for LeBron James and other marquee free agents.

Prior to joining ESPN, Penn spent four seasons in Portland as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Assistant General Manager of the Trail Blazers. Penn is widely known as a top expert on the NBA salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement. Penn worked with general manager Kevin Pritchard on negotiating player contracts, structuring player trades, evaluating talent and managing day-to-day basketball operations.

Penn came to Portland from the Memphis Grizzlies, where he served as assistant general manager/legal counsel from 2000-07. For more than five NBA seasons in Memphis, Penn worked closely with legendary NBA executive Jerry West in player and team related matters, as West built the Grizzlies into a perennial playoff team.

In 1999, Penn began his work with the Grizzlies when he joined owner Michael Heisley’s NBA acquisition team. Penn helped advise and guide Heisley through the complicated acquisition process until Heisley ultimately purchased the Vancouver Grizzlies in May 2000.

After graduating from the University of Illinois law school in 1993, Penn worked as a criminal defense attorney. Six weeks after being admitted to the Illinois bar, Penn defended back-to-back jury trials of felony armed robbery and felony drug possession cases. Within two days both juries returned not guilty verdicts, and Penn’s courtroom legal career was underway. Over the next five years, Penn successfully litigated over 20 other criminal jury trials.

From 1994-1999 Penn simultaneously developed his expertise in professional basketball. Penn began representing basketball players as a player agent in 1994, and in 1995 he founded a company that organized and performed professional basketball tours of Europe designed to help American players showcase their skills for European teams. The Upper Deck trading card company sponsored two European tours in 1997 and 1998. Fox Sports television filmed and broadcast a documentary of the 1998 tour.

Penn graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1990. He and his wife, Melissa, are the proud parents of their daughter, Grace, and son, TJ.

George Postolos
President & CEO - The Postolos Group

George Postolos, President & CEO of The Postolos Group LP, has a distinguished history in the sports business. His firm has advised numerous bidders for NBA, MLB and NFL teams and other sports properties. As the President and CEO of the Houston Rockets, Postolos spearheaded development of Toyota Center, conceived and negotiated the television partnership with the Houston Astros and sublicense to Fox Sports Net, and led the growth in the Rockets business that more than tripled the value of the franchise.

As Special Assistant to NBA Commissioner David Stern, Postolos assisted with matters pertaining to administration and management of the league including collective bargaining, efficient operation of league offices, national television, international expansion, and retail brand extensions.

Postolos is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and a former associate of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Andrew Zimbalist
Robert A. Woods professor of economics - Smith College

For more information on the conference, click here.

Salary Arbitration Nearing the End for 2011

With the Hunter Pence-Astros hearing set for today, the last day for hearings, and the two recent multiyear deals signed by Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista, the 2011 arbitration season is nearly over. Thirty-four teams and players exchanged figures according to my research. (See my earlier post regarding including Santiago Casilla). Thirty-one settled with their teams and avoided hearings. I already posted a discussion of the other two hearings involving Ross Ohlendorf of the Pirates (he won) and Jered Weaver of the Angels (he lost). The thirty-one settlements before hearings are the fewest since 2004 when there were twenty. According to my research, there were nine multiyear deals, seven settlements above the midpoint, four settlements at the midpoint, and eleven settlements below the midpoint. Here is my list of players in each category:

Multiyear deals (9) - Jose Bautista (Blue Jays), Billy Butler (Royals), Johnny Cueto (Reds), R. A. Dickey (Mets), Josh Hamilton (Rangers), Jason Hammel (Rockies), Carlos Marmol (Cubs), Wandy Rodriguez (Astros), and Rickie Weeks (Brewers)

Above the midpoint (7) - Craig Breslow (A’s), Jason Frasor (Blue Jays), Kelly Johnson (Diamondbacks), Miguel Montero (Diamondbacks), Mike Napoli (Rangers), Darren O’Day (Rangers), and Luke Scott (Orioles)

At the midpoint (4) - Jeremy Guthrie (Orioles), Francisco Liriano (Twins), Kevin Slowey (Twins), and Andres Torres (Giants)

Below the midpoint (11) - Santiago Casilla (Giants), Frank Francisco (Rangers), Hong-Chih Kuo (Dodgers), Kameron Loe (Brewers), James Loney (Dodgers), Javier Lopez (Giants), Shaun Marcum (Brewers), Angel Pagan (Mets), Ian Stewart (Rockies), Edison Volquez (Reds), and Delmon Young (Twins)

I will post something more about the Pence hearing.

ATLETICO DE MADRID | PINOCCHIO PART II | A SUSPICION

The 9th of February  I posted an article here on ATLETICO DE MADRID & the rumours about the possible selling of SERGIO AGUERO &/or DIEGO FORLAN at the end of the season. I titled the post "ATLETICO DE MADRID | SERGIO AGUERO | PINOCCHIO",  basically saying I did not believe a word from Atletico Directives that they would not sell under any circumstances Aguero & finished with Forlan as already a

What to do about accused athletes

FIU has decided to allow Garrett Wittels, its star baseball player who enters this season riding a 56-game hitting streak (three shy of breaking the college record), to play to start the season, despite Wittels facing sexual assault allegations in the Bahamas. The next hearing in the case is not until April 18 and, citing the presumption of innocence, the university decided he should be allowed to continue playing, at least until further developments in his case. This raises the broader question of what to do about athletes (pro and college) who are arrested/accusd/charged with crimes but have not yet been convicted. I genuinely am not sure of the answer.

On the one hand, we do have a presumption of innocence. And if the Duke lacrosse case taught us anything, it is that schools look very bad if they move quickly to suspend student-athletes only to have the allegations and the legal case prove to be a complete fantasy (put aside whether the players did anything inappropriate-although-not-illegal). Is it fair to the player to lose a big chunk of his season because of charges that could prove unfounded? Should we place it in non-athletic terms--would a non-athlete-student in the same position as Wittels be suspended from school? If not, perhaps the athlete should not be suspended from the team. (I feel the same way about professional leagues getting all worked up about players' off-field misconduct).


On the other hand, playing for the school's baseball team is different than being one of 42,000 students. How does it look to have a player representing your institution of higher learning who is facing a charge of sexual assault? And there is a certain degree of fame and prestige enjoyed by a star athlete that is not enjoyed by an ordinary student. How does the alleged victim feel to see Wittels continuing on with his educational and athletic career, including games on ESPN? (Similar issues were raised in the controversy over an alleged sexual assault by a Notre Dame football player, who continued playing while the school dragged its feet and the student ultimately took her own life). The accusation of a crime does place the accused in a different legal position than someone who has not been accused of a crime (even if he has not been convicted). So perhaps a school/team should take action against the player who occupies that different legal position. Or should it depend on the school's assessment of Wittel's culpability--and how does the school make that assessment?


I genuinely do not know where I fall on these questions, so I throw them out there for consideration.

VILLAREAL OK SEVILLA FC KO | EUROPA LEAGUE GAMES RESULTS

Two Spanish Football Clubs had EUROPA LEAGUE - last 16 team stage - duties tonight with mixed results. Here is a brief summary with results & the scorers.



Rossi in action for Villareal

A fiercely competitive & intense match for VILLAREAL who played 2º placed Italian Serie A team NAPOLES at Italy. The game was balanced all night & it ended in a 0 - 0  draw result after the Spaniards cancelled

The NFL's Unfair Labor Practice Claim & Article LVIII(3)(A) of the CBA

By now, most football fans know that the NFL has filed an unfair labor practice claim against the NFLPA, alleging that the NFLPA has consistently failed to negotiate with the league in good faith. Most media reports, however, fail to offer a meaningful explanation about what the NFL stands to gain by filing this grievance.

Here's my hunch: The NFL grievance is about trying to delay the NFL players' right, without decertifying prior to the expiration of the CBA, to bring an antitrust challenge against certain NFL practices. This is based my reading of a particular provision buried on p. 238 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement: Article LVII(3)(A).

Upon careful review, Article LVII, Section 3(A) of the NFL collective bargaining agreement (p. 238 of PDF) states as follows:

Following the expiration of the express term of this Agreement ... if the NFLPA is in existence as a union, the Parties agree that none of the Class Members ... nor any player represented by the NFLPA shall be able to commence an action, or assert a claim, under the antitrust laws for conduct occurring, until either: (i) the Management Council and the NFLPA have bargained to impasse; or (ii) six (6) months after such expiration, whichever is later.

Thus, pursuant to Article LVII, Section 3(A), the event of impasse would trigger the start to a six month waiting period before the NFLPA, if it is in existence, could attempt to challenge the NFL salary cap, draft and other labor-side restraints under Section 1 of the Sherman Act.

As a matter of law, however, impasse cannot occur where the party seeking to benefit from declaring impasse has bargained in bad faith. Therefore, if the NFL can show that the union is engaged in some sort of "bad faith" bargaining, impasse would be delayed, and so too would be the players rights under the collective bargaining agreement to bring an antitrust suit against the league's draft, salary cap and other restraints.

Of course, the thought of the NFLPA bringing an antitrust challenge against certain league-wide practices is a real fear for NFL team owners. Indeed, the NFL players, after a failed strike, implemented this strategy successfully in the case McNeil v. Nat'l Football League, 790 F.Supp. 871 (D. Minn. 1992).

ARSENAL 2 FC BARCELONA 1 | 1st LEG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT

Magnificent CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - last 16 teams stage - 1º leg clash between ARSENAL FC & FC BARCELONA that gave all the spectators a wonderful 90 mins of World Class Football. The final result was 2 - 1 victory to Arsenal that gives them the comfort to travel to Barcelona for the 2º leg match although Barça take a valuable away goal that could end up being vital.



David Villa

Arsenal started on

New Sports Illustrated Column: Could Michael Jordan become Player/Coach?

Recently, Henry Abbott of True Hoop had a terrific piece looking at the on-court challenges a soon-to-be 48-year old Michael Jordan -- who is now practicing with the Charlotte Bobcats, which he owns -- would have if he sought to return to the NBA, as has some have speculated he might want to do.

In a new SI column, I write about the legal obstacles of there being an owner/coach in the NBA. Here are a couple of excerpts:

* * *

There are a variety of reasons why a player/owner would prove problematic.

For one, Jordan would hold membership in the two groups that are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. While owners and players are not necessarily competitors, since they need each other for the NBA to exist, they do hold differing views about various matters that are subject to collective bargaining. Those matters include limits on player salaries, access to unrestricted free agency and distribution of league revenue. Jordan, as player/owner, would represent both players and owners, each perhaps skeptical of his loyalty and stance on issues -- would he be "labor" or "management"?

* * *
A second concern would arise when Jordan the owner "negotiates" a contract with Jordan the player, with Jordan the owner paying Jordan the player. A negotiation between one's right and left arm normally doesn't qualify as "arms-length" bargaining. To be sure, Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins would play a key role in the Jordan-Jordan negotiation and Jordan could simplify the situation by agreeing to take the league minimum for veteran players ($1.2 million). Still, the players' association, which has a stake in seeing player salaries go up, may disfavor a player taking less than his market value.

A third concern would center on game-related decisions that might awkwardly amplify Jordan's dual role as owner/player. For instance, what happens if Bobcats coach Paul Silas doesn't play Jordan as much as Jordan believes he should play? Would it be appropriate for Jordan the owner to fire the coach? Or how about if Jordan's teammates don't pass him the ball enough -- would those players soon find themselves on the bench or on other teams?

A fourth concern would relate to precedent: If the NBA allows Jordan to be owner/player, would that set the table for other super rich players, such as LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, to buy equity stakes in their teams? . . .

* * *

The NBA and players' association have contemplated these concerns and include in the current CBA language that would generally prevent an owner from being a player and vice versa. Under Article XXIX, Section 8, "no NBA player may acquire or hold a direct or indirect interest in the ownership of any NBA team." However, the clause allows a player to own shares in any publicly traded company that directly or indirectly owns an NBA team. As a result, for Jordan to own and play for the Bobcats, he would have to convert his ownership interest to that of owning a publicly traded company that owns the Bobcats. While that type of transaction is possible, it is also complicated and would require, among other steps, registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, an initial public offering and NBA approval of the Bobcats' new ownership structure.

* * *

To read the rest, click here.

SPANISH FOOTBALL | VALENCIA CF TEAM PHOTO 2011

Finally managed to find a team photo of Spanish Football Club VALENCIA CF. There are many Valencia fans throughout the global & habitual readers of Spanish Football Sports Blog that may enjoy the image & thus satisfy a few emails I have been getting requesting such image. Below is the Valencia starting 11 team photo in yesterdays Champions League match against Schalke 04. 



Top: Guaita, Topal,

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT 1st LEG | VALENCIA CF 1 SCHALKE 04 1

The EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE competition began again tonight with the last 16 team stage with Spanish Football Club VALENCIA CF hosting German Team SCHALKE 04 in their 1º leg match. The final result was a 1 - 1 draw after an intense, rapid & chances filled game of soccer.



Raul scores for Schalke 04

The first half was basically all Valencia CF dominanting & creating chances. One of those

LIONEL MESSI JOSE MOURINHO TOP WORLD MEDIA FIGURES IN WORLD FOOTBALL

Some interesting Football & Maketing news handed in today by the prestigious Economics Faculty of the Spanish University of Navarra in its annual report on which World Football - Soccer personalities are the most meteoric with the World media & thus their value as World News.



Lionel Messi 2011


The most meteoric figure with World media is FC BARCELONA player LIONEL MESSI with 20. 7 points

National Baseball Arbitration Competition Results

Congratulations to the all of the students who competed in the 4^th Annual National Baseball Arbitration Competition at Tulane Law School. We had an incredible competition this year, featuring teams from law schools across the country, including Harvard, Duke, UVA, Fordham, William & Mary, Cardozo, Notre Dame, and Georgia. Following the competition, we also had a mini-symposium featuring (as one commenter to my previous post put it) "a monster assembly of baseball guys." A special thanks to Armando Velasco, T.J. Henry, and the members of the Tulane Sports Law Society for all of your hard work in putting this competition together.

And, a special congratulations go out to the winners of the competition. Here they are…

Semifinalists: William & Mary Law School (R.C. Rasmus, Laura Brymer and Mike Bagel) and Arizona State University College of Law (Taylor Alberstadt and Nick Forner)

Second Place: University of Denver College of Law (Scott Neckers and Matt Hofmeister)

Winner: University of Miami School of Law (Jason Sosnovsky and Mark Lesorgen)

Look forward to seeing many of you down in New Orleans for next year’s competition….