The Sport Professor Podcast

Have you ever wondered how Tiger Woods and Cristiano Ronaldo have gone about creating brands worth hundreds of millions of dollars? Or why sport teams spend so much time creating unique team names, colors, mascots, and logos? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive the world of sport marketing and branding.  Beginning with an overview of what branding is and why it is so important (2:51), we then move to discuss how companies, specifically in sport go about creating a strong brand (25:08) through forming a unique brand personality (38:02) and visual identity (53:11).  Finally, we end the podcast with a conversation about how you can use this knowledge to build, shape, and grow your own brand and lay out why doing so is important in today’s world (1:05:54).  So, if you are interested in learning more about all facets of branding just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered how the EA Sports NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video games almost caused the downfall of college sports? Or questioned what the future holds for college athletes and their ability to capitalize off their name, likeness, and image? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we conclude our three-part series deep diving the intersection of the Sherman Antitrust Act and sport, focusing this time on two of most important lawsuits in NCAA history. Beginning with a quick reminder of what the Sherman Antitrust Act is (3:18) and how it has been applied to college sport (7:41), we then move to discuss the recent lawsuits challenging the status quo of the NCAA (11:45). More specifically, we breakdown both O’Bannon v. NCAA (20:40) and Alston v. NCAA (43:51), examining the legal arguments and decisions the courts have issued, before ending with a discussion of what those decisions mean for college sports going forward (54:51). So, if you are interested in learning more about what the future holds for the NCAA and if that future includes athletes making money like professionals, just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered how the NCAA can legally limit the movement of players from one university to another or restrict a student-athlete’s earning potential? Or have you ever stopped to ask why the NCAA can legally ban teams from playing postseason games?  If so, this is the podcast for you as today we continue our deep dive into the intersection of the Sherman Antitrust Act and sport, focusing this time on college athletics. Beginning with a brief recap of the Sherman Antitrust Act (3:30) and the history of the NCAA (8:25), we then move to break down the numerous lawsuits that have been filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association claiming they are in violation of the antitrust law. We focus both on times when the NCAA’s practices have been judged to be an illegal restriction on free trade (27:38; 54:00) and on situations where bylaws and rules have been found to preserve a competitive marketplace (39:22; 50:01; 57:28). The goal of such analysis is to identify the legal precedent that may be applied to current discussions centered on paying college athletes. So, if you are interested in learning more about how the NCAA has continually argued they do not hold a monopoly over college sports, just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered why Major League Baseball is exempt from antitrust legislation or why the federal government is always threatening to remove their exemption? Or why other leagues are treated differently than baseball, and what they must do to survive? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive one of the most important and influential laws in sport history… the Sherman Antitrust Act. Beginning with a brief history of the gilded age in America (2:30), we then move to introduce the origins of the Sherman Antitrust Act (19:55), before breaking down its legal components (28:30). From there we examine key cases filed against Major League Baseball (38:43), the National Football League (48:54), and Major League Soccer (56:10), focusing on how the courts have applied the law to various situations and how each decision shaped the future structure and operations of professional sports. So, if you are interested in learning more about how the actions of billionaires like Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller shaped the laws in the late 1800s, and the effect of those laws on sports today just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered what parts of a baseball stadium need to be covered by protective netting? Or if a spectator at The Masters could sue Augusta National for being hit by an errant drive?  If so, this is the podcast for you as today we continue our deep dive into torts in sport as we give you Part 2 of our breakdown of facility liability. Beginning with a quick reminder of the duties facility owners and operators owe invitees and licensees, we will then move to break down numerous real-world situations in which fans were injured at sporting events and sued the stadium, facility and/or owners for damages.  We will pay particular attention to campground liability (5:30), baseball (16:49), hockey (31:09), and golf (44:45), before ending with a general summation of the liability sport teams and facility owners face when objects or players leave the playing surface and enter the stands (1:06:46).  So, if you are interested in learning more about how the courts have ruled on actual cases involving injured spectators just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.   

Have you ever wondered what actions or inactions could lead to athletes, spectators, or employees bring a lawsuit against your favorite team, gym, or stadium? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we once again deep dive the world of sport law, providing insight into the world of torts in sports and facility liability.  Beginning with a quick discussion of negligence, we then move to define the key relationships present within facility and property usage, before ending with a breakdown of the specific legal obligations and duties of stadium owners and possessors.  So, if you are interested in learning more about law and premise liability and how both tie into the world of sport just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered if athletes can sue one another for their actions on the playing field? Or if teams can be held liable for what their athletes do? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive what case law has to say about athlete liability and negligence. Beginning with a quick reminder of the definition of negligence and the legal elements that encompass it (2:14), we then discuss how the historical view of athlete liability has evolved over time (12:00) before dissecting three key court cases (18:33) and applying the discovered case law to a well known modern day example of athlete-on-athlete violence (57:09).  So if you are interested in learning more about the legal liability of athletes and how it affects sport teams just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered why we have laws? Or what led to societies agreeing that certain behaviors should not be allowed and even punished? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive one of the founding principles of the modern world, legal philosophies. Taking a step back from our normal format, we will focus our conversation on the three principle theories that guide the reason, formation, and interpretation of laws.  In doing so, we will discuss the Natural Law Theory, Legal Positivism, and Law as an Organic Process.  We will then apply these philosophies to one of the most taught cases in law schools across the country, The Case of the Shipwrecked Sailors.  Breaking down the facts, we will move to discuss the application of law and how each philosophy applies to the trial and its outcome. After complete, we will end the podcast by addressing one fundamental question, why should we as sport managers and sport lovers care about these ancient philosophies and cases? In other words, why do we need to understand these things and how will that understanding help us better appreciate the uniqueness that is sport. So if you are interested in learning more about the legal theories that guide all aspects of our lives just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered why Tom Brady sued the NFL for Deflategate?  Or why the NCAA does not have to uphold the constitution?  If so, this is the podcast for you as today we once again deep dive the intersection of constitutional law and the world of sports, as we examine the legal construct of STATE ACTION.  Beginning with a brief refresher on the United States Constitution (2:48), we then move to breakdown when federal courts are willing to hear sport organization disputes (11:31), before ending with an in-depth analysis of the legal elements of standing (17:19), injunctions (20:47), and state action (26:05).  So, if you are interested in learning more about the Constitution, and what it takes for the courts to get involved in sport organization disputes just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Have you ever wondered why tampering is illegal in the NBA? Or what goes into a legally binding contract? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we once again take a quick glimpse at the intersection of the world of sports and law, and provide a crash course in contracts. Beginning with a short discussion of where we see contracts in the world, we then move to break down three things everyone should know about contracts, providing context from the world of sports along the way. So, if you are interested in learning what makes something a contract, how interfering with an existing contract is illegal, or what happens when a contract is broken, just sit back, relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.