Foul Play-by-Play

This week on the Foul Play-by-Play podcast, a racehorse sues his trainer, Bob Baffert, Oscar Robertson sues Russell Westbrook for the right to retain the triple-double crown, Brad finally wins a bet on the Minnesota Twins to turn his whole season around, Mike corners the Alex Kirilloff baseball card market, and I talk to a French student citing me in his Master’s thesis about making an environmentally friendlier NBA. https://media.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/content.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/FPBP4.mp3 Opening Arguments A Racehorse v. Trainer Bob Baffert Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, failed a post-race drug test, and Churchill Downs will reportedly ban Baffert from the track if results of the test are upheld. PETA is suing on the horse’s behalf, alleging defamation of character. New Orleans Pelicans EVP David Griffen v. NBA Officials New Orleans Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, David Griffen, was fined $50,000 by the NBA for comments criticizing how Zion Williamson is officiated. Griffen is suing for a refund and fair officiating for his superhuman superstar. Oscar Robertson v. Russell Westbrook Oscar Robertson is hypothetically suing Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook for the right to retain the triple-double record on grounds that triple-doubles were harder back in his day. Brad’s Big Win of the Week Brad finally scores a big win betting on the Minnesota Twins. Then he tries again and loses $200. Why Mike is Cornering the Alex Kirilloff Rookie Baseball Card Market Mike has purchased around 75 Alex Kirilloff rookie cards on Ebay for about $60. He explains why, and we discuss why the baseball market has experienced a revival. Interview with Marin Grisard Discussing the NBA's Lack of Environmental Sustainability Efforts Our host, Anthony Varriano, interviews French graduate student Marin Grisard about his Master's thesis inspired by Varriano's article explaining how the NBA could curb its carbon emissions by expanding the league to 32 teams.

Our attorney on retainer, Michael, accuses his brother, Bradley, of crashing his computer because he came over to look at baseball cards. Then they argue about the decision of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to move the 2021 MLB All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to restrictive voting laws enacted by state Republicans. We also convene a mock grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson. State of Georgia v. MLB Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is moving the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to the state enacting laws that make voting more restrictive. The State of Georgia is hypothetically suing for costs already incurred and projected revenue lost as a result of MLB's decision. Michael Rapaport v. Kevin Durant The actor Michael Rapaport is hypothetically suing Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, claiming messages sent by Durant on social media caused him emotional distress. Paige Bueckers v. WNBA University of Connecticut women's basketball star Paige Bueckers is hypothetically challenging the WNBA rule prohibiting her from entering the WNBA Draft until she is 22 years old. USWNT v. USA Soccer The United States Women's National soccer team is still fighting for equal pay almost a year after a judge threw out its lawsuit against USA Soccer. USWNT star Megan Rapinoe recently spoke to President Joe Biden and Congress about why female athletes deserve opportunities equal to that of their male counterparts. This hypothetical lawsuit claims the USWNT did not receive an opportunity equal to that of the USMNT. DeShaun Watson's Mock Grand Jury We consider the evidence against Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson and decide whether criminal charges should be brought against him for sexual assault.

The latest episode of the Foul Play-by-play podcast discusses five opening arguments, including the alleged defamation of New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Gambling addict/expert Brad also shares a pair of bad beats betting NASCAR. https://media.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/content.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/FPBP2.mp3 Family of Vincent Jackson v. NFL Former NFL player Vincent Jackson was recently found dead in a hotel room and might have been dead for three days before being discovered. Jackson reportedly suffered from alcoholism and concussions. The Jackson family is hypothetically suing the NFL for damages, alleging the league's delayed action to curb concussions it knew caused CTE. NFLPA v. NFL and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith Many NFL players believe the current collective bargaining agreement DeMaurice Smith negotiated is excessively benefiting NFL owners at the players' expense. NFL players approved the CBA last March by a margin of just 60 votes, and it won't expire for 10 years. Hypothetically, the NFLPA alleges the CBA was not negotiated in good faith, challenging the validity of the agreement. Artemi Panarin v. Vladimir Putin The New York Rangers said the allegation that their star Artemi Panarin assaulted an 18-year-old girl over a decade ago is a fabricated response to his support of a Kremlin critic. In this hypothetical case, Panarin, citing emotional distress and lost wages, is suing Russian President Vladimir Putin for defamation. The People of Texas v. Jerry Jones and Comstock Resources, Inc. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is also the majority owner of fossil fuel company Comstock Resources, Inc. Shortages of natural gas combined with increased demand pushed natural gas prices up over 500 percent during a winter storm in Texas. The company, however, was already increasing production in anticipation of increased demand for natural gas. The hypothetical people of Texas allege price gouging and are hypothetically suing for refunds. Timberwolves Associate Head Coach David Vanterpool v. Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves fired head coach Ryan Saunders and hired Toronto Raptors assistant Chris Finch without conducting a formal search or offering associate head coach David Vanterpool the job on an interim basis. Vanterpool is suing, claiming racial discrimination, hypothetically speaking.

In the ninth episode of Foul Play-by-Play, we debut a new segment called "Opening Arguments," featuring brothers Bradley Haase and Michael Haase, with journalist Anthony Varriano serving as judge and jury. If you’ve been in a courtroom like we three, you know how this works. The prosecuting attorney explains to the jury why the defendant is guilty and how the prosecution will prove it. Then the defendant’s attorney explains to the jury why his client is innocent and how the defense will prove it. We just do it with sports arguments. Since our attorney, Michael, has a considerable advantage in this game, Brad, our gambling expert, gets home court advantage, meaning he gets to pick the side he wants to argue once more than his brother gets to pick his argument. https://media.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/content.blubrry.com/foulplaybyplay/FPBP1.mp3 New York Mets Prospects v. Tim Tebow Michael argues on behalf of the New York Mets prospects suing Tim Tebow for one of the 75 Spring Training roster spots Tebow will fill in 2021, despite hitting .151 in 34 spring games. Bradley defends Tim Tebow. The NBA v. LeBron James and Floppers Michael argues on behalf of the NBA's actions to warn LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma for flopping, becoming just the sixth and seventh players to be reprimanded with warnings by the league this season. Bradley argues on behalf of flopping and NBA floppers. The People v. Chris Doyle Michael argues on behalf of the people against Chris Doyle, who was hired by Urban Meyer to be the director of strength performance with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and immediately resigned due to backlash. Bradley defends Chris Doyle's right to work. Doyle allegedly bullied Black players and sent 13 to the hospital as a result of a workout he ran at Iowa...before losing his job. DeShaun Watson v. the Houston Texans Bradley defends DeShaun Watson's right to be traded and Michael defends the Houston Texans' organizational incompetence. MLB v. MLBPA Bradley defends MLB owners paying half as much in free agent contracts this season as they offered last season. Guaranteed money is down, as are contract lengths. Michael defends the MLB Players' Association. Cheats of the Week Bradley nominates Travis Barker as Cheat of the Week, while Michael nominates the Los Angeles Dodgers for signing Trevor Bauer. Brad's Bad Beat/Big Win of the Week Bradley shares gambling stories of his bad beat and big win of the week. Historically Foul Player After the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, a Patriots fan named Sean Murphy stole from the jewelers designing the Giants’ championship rings. He actually ended up with quite a few of them meant for rich Giants fans. While the thieves were caught and Murphy is still serving time, there’s a book in the works about Murphy’s life, as well as a documentary. In an ESPN story by Sam Borden, Murphy says the rings didn’t motivate him to do the job, but they’re certainly paying off for him now. Plead the Fifth Inning: Chad Wheeler's Domestic Abuse Case We chat about former Seattle Seahawk lineman Chad Wheeler's domestic abuse case and whether he can be held responsible for his actions that result from not taking his medication for bipolar disorder, and whether CTE has an impact on bipolar disorder.

All rise. The sports court of public opinion we call Foul Play-by-Play is now in session, the dishonorable Anthony Varriano presiding over this podcast providing play-by-play and color commentary on foul play in sports, on courts and in them. The attorney of record and my co-host is Michael Haase of McLarty and Haase Law in Glendive, Montana. Headlines Headline 1: Maryland Football Player Dies of Heat Exhaustion; Wrongful Death Lawsuit Likely Coming Against University After 19-year-old...

All rise. The sports court of public opinion we call Foul Play-by-Play is now in session, providing play-by-play and color commentary on foul play in sports on and off the field, pitch, court, and ice. Headlines Headline 1: Urban Meyer Placed on Paid Administrative Leave Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave after former ESPN journalist Brett McMurphy obtained text messages and an exclusive interview showing Meyer knew in 2015 of domestic abuse allegations...

All rise, and welcome to this sports court of public opinion we call Foul Play-by-Play – the podcast that provides play-by-play and color commentary on foul play in sports on and off the field, pitch, court, and ice. Headlines Headline 1: Dolphins First to Release Potential Penalties for Anthem Protests Since the Miami Dolphins are one of the first NFL teams to report to training camp, they were the first to put police brutality protest penalties in writing, as required by the league. I’m...

At Foul Play-by-Play we provide play-by-play and color commentary of foul play in sports on and off the field, pitch, court and ice. Here are the headlines, cheats of the week and a trip back in time when foul play was fair game to John McGraw. Headlines NFLPA Files Grievance Against NFL Owners’ New National Anthem Policy The NFL Players’ Association filed a non-injury grievance challenging the NFL’s new national anthem policy, Tuesday. According to our comrade Al Neal of PeoplesWorld.org,...

Here at Foul Play-by-Play we investigate foul play on and off the field, court, ice and pitch, giving you the week's cheats, cheap shots and alleged criminals in sports. Here are the headlines for the last two weeks ending July 1. Headline 1: Jameis Winston Suspended Three Games for Allegedly Groping Uber Driver Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has been suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season for allegedly groping an Uber driver over two years ago. Winston has...

Foul Play-by-Play investigates foul play in sports on and off the court, field, pitch and ice every week. Here's play-by-play on foul play in sports for the week ending June 17. Headlines Ohio Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Reds’ Bobblehead Tax Case The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday morning in a dispute over taxes on promotional items purchased by the Cincinnati Reds and offered to fans through promotional ticket packages. Ohio state law exempts companies from paying taxes on items they buy and resell, but the issue is whether promotional items like bobbleheads are being sold as part of a ticket package or given away in an effort to increase ticket sales, which would require the Reds to pay taxes on the items. Attorneys for the Reds argue they don't have to pay tax because they resell the promotional items as part of the ticket package, but the state tax commissioner says the promotional items should be taxed because the Reds bought the items as giveaways and aren't selling them with the tickets. Regardless of whether the Reds’ techniques are legal or not, the attempt to avoid paying $88,000 in state taxes is pretty insensitive given the Reds’ recent history. The construction of Great American Ball Park cost Hamilton County taxpayers $349 million and deprived federal taxpayers of $142 million in revenue – third-most costly of any Major League Baseball stadium according to a Brookings Institute study. The Reds share responsibility with the Cincinnati Bengals for burying Ohio’s Hamilton County in debt, resulting in cuts to social services, including the sale of a hospital, and forcing Hamilton County Commissioners to refinance $376 million of stadium bond debt in 2016. Property owners in Hamilton County were promised 30 percent of the revenue raised by the half-cent increase to the sales tax in the form of reduced tax bills, but the county has rarely had the money to pay the stadium debt and offer the full tax rollback. Meanwhile, the Reds could go from increasing attendance by giving away items plus tax to making money on tax-free items while also increasing attendance. And they’re not the only ones. The Minnesota Twins are also offering more of these promotional ticket packages and fewer giveaways after winning a similar case back in 1998. Like Ohio, “goods and services purchased solely to resell, lease or rent in the regular course of business” are tax exempt in Minnesota. In fact, most states allow businesses to purchase items tax-free as long as those items are to be resold. So this is only the beginning, and already, great American ballparks are turning giveaways into takeaways, likely turning a profit on what was a cheap means of advertising and now is a cheaper means of advertising. Senior manager of group sales for the Twins, Phil McMullen, informed me that the prices for their promotional ticket packages are based on the price of their group tickets, which explains why the markup for the promotional item appears to vary by seat location when compared to buying a single game ticket alone. The same cannot be said for the Reds, whose price for promotional items vary by seat location. The June 19 promotion in Cincinnati is available at three different price points in three different sections of the ballpark. The promotional ticket package is $25 per “View Level” ticket, $55 for a seat in the “Field Box” section and $80 for an “Infield Box” seat. The price of a ticket to the same game in the “View Level” section is $17. A field box seat is $41, and infield box seats range from $65 to $68. So the same bobblehead costs $8 when purchased with a “View Level” ticket, $14 when purchased with a “Field Box” ticket and between $12 and $15 when purchased with an “Infield Box” ticket. So fans purchasing the promotional ticket package will pay four different prices for the exact same product in the same store. The Reds’ attorney says Ohio’s flawed tax code doesn’t require a specific dollar a...

Each week here at Foul Play-by-Play we cover the law-related, sports stories, including the Colangelo scandal and diving deeper into a possible cheerleaders' union. Here are your headlines, "Cheats of the Week," "Historically Foul Play" and "Statistically Significant Foul Player" for the week ending June 10. Headlines Bryan Colangelo and Philadelphia 76ers Part Ways Bryan Colangelo resigned on Thursday as president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers after his wife admitted to using Twitter accounts to criticize players and support her husband. Sixers coach Brett Brown will oversee basketball operations on an interim basis. An independent investigation found Colangelo to be the source of the sensitive information shared by his wife, Barbara Bottini. Colangelo said his wife was “operating without his consent” and that “at no point did I ever purposefully or directly share any sensitive, non-public, club-related information with her.” So how did she come across this information? You say you didn’t directly share sensitive information, so sas she getting it from someone else in the organization? You say you didn’t share it on purpose, so was it shared in the throes of passion? Barbara taking the blame on this obviously doesn’t make Bryan innocent. She can’t be guilty without having an accomplice giving her the information. It’s a miracle, frankly, Bryan Colangelo wasn’t fired. The Sixers are either being incredibly nice or didn’t want to file the paperwork to fire the man because sharing trade information is a fireable offense. I don’t see Colangelo working again, regardless of this being a resignation and not a firing. Even if he didn’t know about the Twitter accounts, he still shared sensitive information with someone he shouldn’t. When there’s a big trade on the table at work, you don’t go home at lunch and spill the beans to your wife before it’s final. You don’t spill the beans to anyone outside the organizations involved. Delaware Sees $322,000+ in Sports Wagers on First Day of Legal Betting More than $322,000 was wagered on the first day of legal sports betting in Delaware, Tuesday. Delaware Governor John Carney made the first wager and won, risking $10 on the Philadelphia Phillies to beat the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies won 6-1. That must have paid well. Delaware was already offering parlay betting during the federal ban since 2009 and built sportsbooks within its casinos, waiting for the end of the federal ban. It’s estimated that $350 million to $760 million could be wagered annually if online betting is fully implemented. Mother of G Leaguer Sues NBA after Son Collapses on Court, Dies Two Days Later The mother of Zeke Upshaw, former swingman for Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate Grand Rapids Drive who collapsed on the court and died two days later, has filed a lawsuit accusing the NBA and the Detroit Pistons of negligence. Upshaw, 26, collapsed during a game in Grand Rapids on March 24 and died two days later of what a Grand Rapids medical examiner called a sudden cardiac death with cardiac abnormalities. Upshaw had a “slightly enlarged” heart, which is not entirely unusual in athletes and could be unrelated to his death, but the Grand Rapids team doctor was not at the arena when Upshaw collapsed on March 24, so life-saving measures were not attempted, no CPR initiated and no defibrillator used, but Upshaw died two days later. Links to video footage, lawsuit, and media advisory! Cheerleaders Sue Houston Texans Alleging Hostile Work Environment and Withholding Pay Five former NFL cheerleaders sued the Houston Texans on Friday, accusing the franchise of paying the women less than the $7.25 per hour they were due, not compensating them for making public appearances and creating a workplace where the women were threatened with termination for voicing complaints. This isn’t the first time NFL cheerleaders have sued their employers.

Each week at Foul Play-by-Play, we cover the law-related, sports headlines, including the cheats, cheap shots and alleged criminals in sports. Here are the headlines, "Historically Foul Play," “Statistically Significant Foul Player,” and Cheats of the Week for the week of May 18-25. NFL Anthem Protests, Milwaukee Bucks Rookie Tased by Police, and Cheats of the Week for May 18-25 The NFL Plan to Profit from Sports Betting, Donald Trump Does Something Good, and Indiana Law Professor Nathaniel Grow Talks on the Sports Broadcasting Act Headlines New NFL Anthem Protests Policy Adopted without a Vote According to Seth Wickersham, the NFL owners adopted a new national anthem policy despite an official vote never taking place, which he tweeted is “atypical for such a major resolution.” According to Jim Trotter of NFL.com, there were eight to 10 owners who, before the meetings, expressed support for keeping the league’s anthem policy “as is.” They believed the protests were fading and the league should instead focus on community work being done by players. Regardless, it seems the resolution has been adopted by the NFL, and players who choose to be on the field for the national anthem must either “show respect” for the anthem and flag or the team will be fined. The resolution is intentionally vague, allowing NFL owners and the commissioners to determine what qualifies as respect on a case-by-case basis. So standing for the anthem with a fist in the air like Chris Long did to show solidarity for his protesting teammates would be a finable offense. Team owners can pass those fines onto the players, which will allow them to control the players. While New York Jets chairman Christopher Johnson volunteered to pay all fines incurred by Jets players for violating the policy, other owners aren’t expected to be as tolerant. And if an owners says “this team will pay anthem protest fines as a team” not too many players will be protesting. Well the NFL Players' Association is already telling players to save their money for a 2021 lockout, when they next negotiate with owners on a collective bargaining agreement, during which the players could demand a more preferred anthem policy. That works perfectly for me, because I intend to stop watching football if the Vikings don’t win a Super Bowl in the next three years, and not because of anthem protests. I’m tired of watching seven seconds of action followed by 25 seconds of inaction. I’m tired of watching kickers and officials determine the outcomes of games. I’m tired of NFL replay, which will now be used to review ejections. And I’m tired of coaches punting on fourth and inches. But at least a catch is a catch again. USA Swimming Sued for Covering-up Sexual Abuse Olympic swimmer Ariana Kukors Smith is suing USA Swimming alleging a cover-up of her former coach's sexual abuse. Kukors Smith alleges that Sean Hutchison groomed her for sexual abuse when she was 13, started touching and kissing her when she was 16 and engaged in sexual activity with her when she was 17. Worse yet, she alleges the national governing body knew her former coach sexually abused her as early as 2005, when she was 16. The lawsuit alleges that officials did not report it to authorities and didn't protect Kukors Smith while shielding Hutchison and the image of USA Swimming. It seems like a case similar to that of the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal, except we know multiple Penn State employees witnessed Sandusky’s behavior with underage boys. In this case, USA Swimming hired a private investigator in 2010 to look into rumors of a relationship between the then-21 Kukors and Hutchison, who was 39, finding no misconduct after the two and others denied the relationship. Cannabis Use Dashes Dreams of Minor League Baseball Prospect, High School Football Player The Houston Astros cut suspended minor leaguer and former top prospect Jon Singleton because he couldn’t resist smoking cannabis.