SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re proud to present interviews with two of the biggest attorneys in sports. The first one is with Patrick English, a lawyer with 45 years of experience. He played a crucial role in assisting John McCain in developing the Professional Boxing Safety Act and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Mr. English has also has litigated Ali Act cases, and represented numerous boxers and promoters in the sport.

Our second interview is with James (Jim) Quinn, the “super attorney” who has been named a Top 10 trial lawyer by the National Law Journal multiple times. He’s also been named the top trial attorney on numerous occasions by Chambers, and has been involved in some of the biggest cases in stick-and ball-sports. He has served as lead trial counsel for NFL players in their antitrust suit against the NFL (McNeil v. NFL), has counseled and represented players associations in MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, and Major League Soccer, and was the author of one of the best books about the sports industry - Don't Be Afraid to Win: How Free Agency Changed the Business of Pro Sports.

Today’s podcast is completely free, but we encourage you to become a paid subscriber so you have access to all our content, as we do paywall some of it. Please follow along with our outline here as you listen to the episode.

Episode 182 (Patrick English, Esq.) Outline

* Has the Ali Act worked as intended?

* What parts of the Ali Act have worked?

* What problems in boxing does the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act fix?

* Does the new bill only help one entity?

* Does the new bill allow for UBOs to engage in coercive contracts?

* Is the intent of the bill to help monopolize boxing?

* Does the ABC's board of directors' endorsement of the bill lead to concerns

* How likely are they to get this bill passed?

* Why is no one supporting the Professional Boxing Amendment Act instead?

Episode 182 (James Quinn, Esq.) Outline

* How important is free agency to athlete pay?

* What is the relationship between collective bargaining and athlete pay?

* Why is the Big O, Oscar Robertson, not thought of as another Curt Flood?

* Why did the big league unions transition from striking to decertifying?

* Was the salary cap a mistake for the players?

* Is it more difficult to negotiate if your league is a single entity?

* Why do independent contractors like Tennis Players struggle to get more competition in their sport?

The Hey Not the Face! Podcast is an independent publication. Please consider a paid subscription to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. With all forms of news media crumbling, especially in the combat sports space, we could really use your help. Thank you. We appreciate all of you.

Thank you for checking out the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d be eternally grateful if you could help us by purchasing a subscription and spreading word of this episode by sharing it far and wide.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re proud to present interviews with two of the biggest attorneys in sports. The first one is with Patrick English, a lawyer with 45 years of experience. He played a crucial role in assisting John McCain in developing the Professional Boxing Safety Act and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Mr. English has also has litigated Ali Act cases, and represented numerous boxers and promoters in the sport.

Our second interview is with James (Jim) Quinn, the “super attorney” who has been named a Top 10 trial lawyer by the National Law Journal multiple times. He’s also been named the top trial attorney on numerous occasions by Chambers, and has been involved in some of the biggest cases in stick-and ball-sports. He has served as lead trial counsel for NFL players in their antitrust suit against the NFL (McNeil v. NFL), has counseled and represented players associations in MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, and Major League Soccer, and was the author of one of the best books about the sports industry - Don't Be Afraid to Win: How Free Agency Changed the Business of Pro Sports.

Today’s podcast is completely free, but we encourage you to become a paid subscriber so you have access to all our content, as we do paywall some of it. Please follow along with our outline here as you listen to the episode.

Episode 182 (Patrick English, Esq.) Outline

* Has the Ali Act worked as intended?

* What parts of the Ali Act have worked?

* What problems in boxing does the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act fix?

* Does the new bill only help one entity?

* Does the new bill allow for UBOs to engage in coercive contracts?

* Is the intent of the bill to help monopolize boxing?

* Does the ABC's board of directors' endorsement of the bill lead to concerns

* How likely are they to get this bill passed?

* Why is no one supporting the Professional Boxing Amendment Act instead?

Episode 182 (James Quinn, Esq.) Outline

* How important is free agency to athlete pay?

* What is the relationship between collective bargaining and athlete pay?

* Why is the Big O, Oscar Robertson, not thought of as another Curt Flood?

* Why did the big league unions transition from striking to decertifying?

* Was the salary cap a mistake for the players?

* Is it more difficult to negotiate if your league is a single entity?

* Why do independent contractors like Tennis Players struggle to get more competition in their sport?

The Hey Not the Face! Podcast is an independent publication. Please consider a paid subscription to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. With all forms of news media crumbling, especially in the combat sports space, we could really use your help. Thank you. We appreciate all of you.

Thank you for checking out the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d be eternally grateful if you could help us by purchasing a subscription and spreading word of this episode by sharing it far and wide.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re discussing the rumors of the Apex venue’s expansion, UFC 319’s big gate, and Mark Shapiro’s increasing footprint We’re also examining the rumors that WWE has the option to purchase TNA Wrestling and another similar rumor that Lorenzo Fertitta is interested in buying them. In our bonus segment,…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re discussing the latest filings in the Johnson v. Zuffa antitrust case, Trump’s revocation of a Biden executive order regarding competition, and fighter revenue share and possible purse increases. We also have a thorough breakdown about why a fighters union won’t work, imaginings of why Conor Mc…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re briefly discussing the UFC media rights deal with Paramount that was announced today. If you’re wondering why our chat on the topic was brief, it’s because we also had a guest, the attorney who worked tirelessly to get the Le v. Zuffa antitrust case where it is currently—a history-making case …

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SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re discussing a variety of topics that include ESPN’s huge deals with the NFL and the WWE, their new DTC pricing that will be unveiled in two weeks, and who they prefer for boxing content. We also dive into Andy Foster’s interview with Ariel Helwani and TKO’s investors call. Once again, shoutout …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re discussing a variety of topics that include ABC’s new president and what we know about him, Matt Brown’s criticism of Renato Moicano, Tapology’s new UFC fighter rankings system, UFC Qatar site fees, and Martin Buday’s release. We also talked about PFL’s great strides in card quality, Netflix’s plans, TKO’s big squeeze on WWE fans, and some very interesting finds in Jarrell Miller’s bankruptcy case. There’s a lot more so follow along with our outline as you listen:

Episode 177 Outline

* A new president was named to replace Mike Mazzulli at the ABC. Who is it and do we know anything about him?

* Matt Brown criticized Renato Moicano recently. What was his point of contention and do you agree with him?

* Tapology just announced they’ll be doing their own independent rankings system. What are your thoughts on that?

* Martin Buday was recently cut from the UFC despite having a very good run and coming off a win. What’s the problem with Buday?

* UFC recently announced their Qatar card. What kind of site fees are we looking at for that event?

* The Netflix VP still isn’t convinced on buying the rights to a “full season sports package”. Do you think there’s a possibility this is smoke and mirrors to hide that they actually are considering a full package?

* PFL seems to be making great strides in content quality for their cards. Can they possibly un-sink their ship?

* TKO has plans to do 2-night events in the near future, adding to Summer Slam and Wrestlemania (the only 2-night events they hold currently). Do you think their greed will eventually bite them in the ass? (fans are already piping up discontent with this)

* There were massive boos and discontent for Trump at the recent Summer Slam event. Do you think TKO is overplaying their hand with WWE audiences, which are family-friendly and don’t lean hard right like UFC audiences?

* What’s going on with Jarrell Miller’s Bankruptcy and what does it have to do with Salita Promotions?

* What were Miller’s agreements with Salita?

* How does Miller’s failed PED test and the contractual exclusive negotiating and right of refusal impact the case?

* What was Queensberry Promotions offer to Miller and did Salita interfere with this offer?

* What’s going on with Miller and this case now?

Check out the full filing below:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today, we’re discussing a variety of topics that include Conor McGregor’s latest loss, Karate Combat’s legal issues, new filings in the Johnson v. Zuffa antitrust case and how the proposed amendment to the Ali Act will likely hurt UFC fighters if it passes. We also talked about Derek Brunson and Josh Barne…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

On today’s massive episode, we are joined by attorney Kurt Emhoff of the Boxing Esquire Podcast to break down the proposed amendment to the Ali Act. John and Kurt discuss what TKO is trying to do, how they’re doing it, who is helping them, and what the likely outcomes will be. They also look at what can be…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

On Wednesday, July 23, reports came out with the news that a bi-partisan bill was introduced that proposed legislation to amend the Ali Act. There were several notable points that included a minimum “per round” pay scale, a health insurance plan, enhanced drug testing, safety protocols, and more. And all of this done with the guidance of TKO. But how much of that is benefitting the athletes when it comes down to TKO’s monopolistic practices? We try to answer the questions we’ve seen around social media and a few that we didn’t see. Follow along with our outline as you listen:

Episode 174 Outline

* Georgia Congressman Brian Jack is introducing a new, bi-partisan bill that sets up new legislation for boxing. What is it and what is the main goal of the legislation?

* What part of the Ali Act specifically prohibits the UFC pay model? (@fistsoffiction on Twitter asks the question)

* Do Brian Jack or his co-sponsor Sharice Davids have any notable ties to TKO?

* Can you give us a quick summary of what the bill is trying to amend?

* What do they mean by “run parallel” to the current legislation (Ali Act)?

* They plan to up boxer minimum pay by offering better “per round” pay. What does that mean and what are they offering as the minimum?

* They’re also talking about healthcare for boxers. Could you expand on that.

* Will Turki Alalshikh/The Ring/Riyadh Season/Sela/PIF be involved in this?

* Does the fact that UFC just settled an antitrust case due to unfair pay matter at all here?

* Where does the ABC come in and what’s their role in this?

* Should they be pushing back against this?

* What about the sanctioning organizations, how do they fit into this plan?

* Some articles are reporting that boxers would be able to choose the system they want to participate in: traditional or the UBOs (United Boxing Organizations), but doesn’t TKO/Zuffa historically lock their athletes into coercive, ironclad contracts, making it difficult for them to get away if they decide to sign?

* Do they plan to have their own belts and if so, who would the sanctioning body be?

* Could they change the ruleset of boxing acting as a UBO?

* They say that they plan to focus some of their energy toward making boxing safer and having better drug testing in place. What would that look like?

* Do you foresee even more regulatory capture coming into play here?

* How long do you think the process will be to get this passed?

* Do you think there will be any pushback at all? Will it be difficult to get the votes?

* How could POTUS help this along?

* Fred Garvin asked why they would need to bring out the big guns of federal intervention to make what, on the surface, looks like modest changes. What’s your take on that?

* What’s the worst part of this proposed legislation?

* Are there any positives to be derived from it?

Download the bill proposal PDF: