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Patriotic and political rituals that pervade our sporting events. And the performing of The Star-Spangled Banner, a part of just about every game, is heightened at major games and events (championships, Super Bowls, all-star games, event finals). And we expected that to even more so at today’s Women’s Final of the U.S. Open, played in New York on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

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Only sort-of sports-law related, kind of: The top 4 seeds made the Men’s Semifinals at the U.S. Open. In today’s semis, # 1 (Djokovic) played # 3 (Federer) and # 2 (Nadal) played # 4 (Murrary). But brackets are always set up for semis of 1 v. 4 and 2 v. 3.

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I missed this two days ago: To no one’s surprise, MLB denied, without explanation, the Phillies’ protest over the use of replay in last Sunday’s game with the Marlins. more…

Sports Law Symposium: Law and the Olympic Movement

Please join The University of Maine School of Law and Preti Flaherty on September 13, 2011 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm for a Sports Law Symposium featuring:
Law and the Olympic Movement

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Baylor University and its president, Ken Starr (the same Ken Starr who was Independent Counsel investigating President Clinton) may file a lawsuit to stop Texas A&M from joining the SEC. I talk to Maggie Gray of Sports Illustrated Inside Report about it.

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* The Dodgers ownership mess gets messier and messier.  If you’re a law student looking for a note topic, I’m pretty sure you could have a field day writing about the Dodgers situation, the powers of the MLB commissioner, and the relationship between a league and bankruptcy and divorce courts.

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A remarkable event occurred during the 6th inning of the Phillies Marlins game Saturday (which Howard Wasserman also blogged about yesterday). With Ryan Howard on first, Hunter Pence hit a long drive to the fence in right field. As Brian Peterson attempted to make the catch, two South Florida University students who happened to be Phillies fans (who else would be at a Marlins game?) reached over the fence and appeared to touch the glove of the outfielder. As the ball fell to the ground, Pence ended up on second and Howard on third. Out came Manager Jack McKeon to argue fan interference which, if called on the field, could negate the double and return Howard to first. Umpire Joe West and his crew listened then retreated to view the replay. When they returned, West ruled Pence out. Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel then came out to argue and was promptly tossed.

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Jen, Lily, and I went to Sunday’s game between the Phillies and Marlins, which turned into a game that shows why lawyers love baseball so much. In the top of the sixth and a man on first, the Phillies’ Hunter Spence hit a drive to deep right that Marlins rightfielder Bryan Petersen could not pull in against the wall; Spence ended up on second with a double. The Marlins claimed fan interference (a Phillies fan reached his red Phillies hat over the fence and it looks like the hat hit Petersen’s glove as he was leaping to make the catch). The umps went to replay, deciding that the fan had interfered and calling Pence out. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel argued the call and was ejected (watching the video, it almost looks as if he asked the crew chief to run him). The Phillies played the game under protest (the link has the video–MLB.com does not allow blogs to embed video), which the Marlins won on a bases-loaded walk in the fourteenth inning (we didn’t last that long).

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