Why It Makes Sense for Michigan to Appeal the NCAA Sign-Stealing Investigation Decision

Anyone who has a ear to or an eye on sports media in the past couple years knows about the highly publicized sign-stealing allegations the NCAA made against the University of Michigan (and a handful of individuals) during the late “Jim Harbaugh Era” of Michigan Football. So, I’m not here to talk about the allegations. I’m here to talk about the NCAA Committee on Infraction’s (COI) conclusion and penalty determination and why it is no surprise Michigan plans to appeal. Since I recently had the opportunity to briefly discuss this matter on 760AM WJR’s “Focus with Paul W. Smith,” I figured an expanded discussion is warranted. Let’s talk about what the COI actually said, what the NCAA Division I Bylaws actually say, and why it is important for Michigan to challenge this infractions decision for college sports’ collective well-being.

5(ish) Things to Know Before MLB Opening Day 2025

The MLB 2025 season begins… wait… IT BEGAN ON MARCH 18?! Technically, yes! The regular season began even before the Spring Equinox in Tokyo with a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. If you haven’t paid close attention to baseball in recent years or if your mind has been occupied by *hand gestures toward the sky and all around*, this may come as a surprise, but it is actually the sixth time MLB held its season opener overseas. As you can probably guess, the Cubs lost both games (Dodgers 4, Cubs 1; Dodgers 6, Cubs 3).

MLB’s traditional Opening Day is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 and is the earliest Opening Day in MLB history. For my fellow Detroit Tigers fans, they will play the Dodgers with Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal as their starting pitcher.

Here are five things everyone should know before their club takes the field:

Jaime, MLBJaime MiettinenMarch 27, 2025MLB, Rule changes, broadcasting rights, licensing, stadiumsComment

Understanding Counterfeit Merchandise in Sports

Upon seeing a news story about Detroit police seizing at least $85,000 worth of counterfeit Detroit Lions merchandise over the course of the 2023 NFL season, I realized it might be worth while to explain what counterfeiting and counterfeit marks are for a few different reasons: (1) You confidently know the merchandise’s source; (2) You may be able to better gauge the merchandise’s quality; and (3) You can support the businesses that do it right!

Jaime, Intellectual Property, NFL, TrademarksJaime MiettinenJanuary 18, 2024NFL, Intellectual Property, Trademarks, Infringement, Detroit Lions, licensingComment

2024 Sports Law Hot Topics to Watch

Admittedly, saying, “It’s been a while!” is a severe understatement, but after podcasting, growing my legal practice, and going through numerous personal life events across the spectrum, I felt it was time to come back to write something that I know many people used to look forward to reading because it’s that time of the year. My past predictions have been pretty accurate despite some unpredictable events in recent years. So, let’s get this party started!

Here are what I believe will be the Top 5 sports law hot topics to watch:

5 Things to Know Before the 2023 MLB Opening Day

The 2023 MLB regular season is almost upon us! It wouldn’t surprise me if some of you are less enthusiastic than others or are just completely indifferent about it, especially since general viewership has decreased over the past three decades with fan attendance sharply decreasing whether it be due to weather, costs, personal income relative to cost-of-living, ballpark accessibility, COVID, or the real time and emotional commitment it takes to sit through a game. Commissioner Rob Manfred has been well aware of this issue & obviously wants to grow professional baseball to continue to make more money. So, the joint Competition Committee, which was created according to the recently negotiated MLB-MLBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement & is comprised of six MLB representatives, four players, & one umpire, approved three rule changes this past October to make the game more attractive to fans by increasing the game’s pace of play and the action on the field. These rules are technically in place now during Spring Training, but these rule changes along with a couple other operational adjustments will be on full display come the regular season.

Jaime, MLBJaime MiettinenMarch 7, 2023professional sports, MLB, Rule changes, Opening DayComment

Understanding the Right of Publicity in College Athletics - What IS the Right of Publicity?

For a brief overview discussion on the right of publicity, I created the slideshow below. I acknowledge that sometimes I can be a little long-winded or go on tangents, but that is only because I am incredibly passionate about the legal side of sports, and I love to share that passion and knowledge with others. In the series’ introduction blog post, I said I would “paint a picture of what the right of publicity is, legally speaking.” Well, here you go! I literally made images. Think of this as a baseline explanation without getting into the nitty gritty legal details - totally transparent, unbiased and objective, easily digestible, and visually appealing.