Ja Morant Timeline, Lamar Jackson & Collusion Whispers, Bengals Workers Comp, and WWE Legalized Betting

Welcome back to THE Sports Law Podcast! This is your one-stop shop for all things sports law. In this episode, Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust), Justin Mader (@MaderLaw), and Evan Mattel (@Evan_Mattel21) break down the latest in the world of sports and law. Greg Termolle (@GregTerm) joins the podcast to discuss the latest US Men's soccer drama.

Ja Morant, a star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been in the news recently for multiple events pointing to behavior concerns. (3:57) Morant recently stepped away from the team following a two-game suspension after Ja flashed a gun on Instagram live. Other stories accuse Morant of punching a 17-year-old following a pick-up basketball game. These stories have caused Morant’s deal with Powerade to be pulled for now as he goes through a counseling program.

The Baltimore Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson this past week. (17:56) Jackson was seeking a large fully guaranteed contract that he was negotiating himself without the help of an agent. If a team is interested and puts together a contract for Jackson, then the Ravens have a chance to match it.

The NFLPA recently released an email to its member stating that the Bengals’ organization is attempting to strip its players of workers’ compensation. (32:20) The email highlighted lobbying efforts the Bengals are engaged in to change the workers’ compensation law in Ohio. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) only requires teams to provide workers’ compensation based on the law in which the team is based.

Rumors have swirled recently that the WWE is putting a plan together to allow betting on their events. (38:24) This is surprising considering WWE matches are scripted and have a predetermined outcome. The WWE would plan to keep those results under lock and key even restricting the wrestlers’ access to the script. Many problems have been pointed out but other predetermined events, such as the Oscars, receive plenty of legal bets.

The U.S. Soccer Federation completed and released its report covering alleged domestic violence by Greg Berhalter as well as behavior issues with Claudio Reyna. (53:26) Berhalter and Reyna have known each other since they were around 11 or 12 years old. While the report did not point to any direct FIFA violations, it does include things that could cause FIFA to conduct its own investigation into their relationship and the actions of Claudio Reyna.

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Hosts: Dan Wallach (@WallachLegal) | Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust)

Producers: Justin Mader (@MaderLaw)

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