Tag Archives: Football

Giants May Fumble in Court

Workplace retaliation

A former video director for the New York Giants alleges that the nature of his termination from his position was retaliatory. The intent of the lawsuit stems from David Maltese’s consistent complaints to the Giants organization that certain management staff initiated physical altercations with subordinates and perpetuated a culture of workplace violence. The plaintiff believes his termination, which took place in March 2021, serves as a violation of New Jersey’s whistleblower statute, referred to as the Conscientious Employee Protection Act. Maltese is asking for economic and compensatory damages in the form of back and future lost wages, retirement and pension benefits, pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical bills, among additional fees and compensation. Continue reading

Lawsuit Fumbles in Federal Court

Push for a penalty

As we rapidly approach football season, excited fans are preparing for their fantasy drafts.  In the midst of their discussions about previous player injuries, training camp, predictions for the season, and whatever else football fans talk about, they can add a recently dismissed lawsuit to their rapport.  A US District Court judge in New Orleans dismissed one of three federal lawsuits involving a disputed call in the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams NFC title game this past January.  In the game, NFL officials failed to acknowledge a pass interference in the form of a helmet-to-helmet hit, exchanged between Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman and Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis.  If the rules of NFL football were strictly adhered to, the Rams player should have been flagged for a penalty at this point in the game.  Continue reading

No California Love for NFL’s Rams

Feeling sheepish

The National Football League is no stranger to off the field issues, and it looks like they’re going back to the courtroom. The City of St. Louis claims that the Rams, who have moved from Missouri to Los Angeles, have violated their own “relocation guidelines”. A group of about 100 plaintiffs is upset about how the Rams went about the process and are looking for their pound of flesh. Not only was the football franchise named, but also the NFL itself, plus it’s 32 league owners. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Christopher McGraugh ruled that the lawsuit would not be dismissed or brought to arbitration, which is a win for the football fans in the mid-west. Ironically, the Rams have returned to prominence since going back to Los Angeles, on the strength of top draft pick Todd Gurley and 31-year-old head coach Sean McVay. Read More

Former NFL Players Rush to Meet Class Action Deadline

Head games

Former NFL football players who have suffered from neurological damage and head injuries foresee an approaching resolution to the six-year-long legal battle against the NFL. This fight initiated in 2011 and settled in 2013; however, it was determined that the $765 million settlement was not enough money to cover the cost of compensation for the 20,000 former NFL players involved in the lawsuit. In 2015, after extensive negotiations, a federal judge removed the limit of $765 million to leave room for a potentially higher payout. The family members of those whom have since passed away as a result of chronic head damage may also benefit from this lawsuit. Read more

Personal Foul: Allegations Surround Super Bowl

Roughing the passer

Peyton Manning is well known as the mature father figure of the National Football League. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl XLVI winning quarterback of the Denver Broncos has made unwanted headlines this week for his association with a 1997 University of Tennessee sexual harassment lawsuit. Dr. Jamie Naughright, former Director of Health & Wellness at the University of Tennessee, reported that Peyton Manning exposed himself to her while she was examining his foot in the locker room.  In his book “Manning: A Father, His Sons and A Football Legacy” Manning accounted the incident as a harmless locker-room exchange where he was “mooning” a fellow player. Manning called the event “crude maybe, but harmless”. Read More