Will Your NCAA Tournament Bracket Be Legal in the State of Michigan?

Saying that the NCAA Tournament and bracket pools do not go together is like saying that I-75 and "10mph over the posted speed limit" do not go together. We know it happens. Law enforcement knows it is the norm. We may or may not realize it stretches legal limits. We do it anyway.

The recent hype over the legality of daily fantasy sports is directing a lot of attention toward relevant state and federal law. With respect to Michigan's point of view on the matter, it gets a little risque. I have written on Michigan's stance on daily fantasy sports as of 2015, but making brackets is a different type of simulation that is also forced to live under an outdated rule.

How does Michigan law view your March Madness tourney bracket?

A Little Ditty on Naming Rights for the New Detroit Red Wings Arena

Olympia Entertainment admitted that it selected a buyer for the Detroit Red Wings' new arena in The District Detroit 50-block area renovation project. Who is it? Who knows! Chris Ilitch, owner Mike Ilitch's son and president and C.E.O. of Ilitch Holdings, disclosed that the formal announcement could come within the next month or so. In the meantime, it may be good to know how naming rights operate so when the announcement is made, we can discuss the deal in an educated fashion and form an opinion on whether it was a smart decision overall.

Looking Back At Sports' Legal Happenings On This Day, February 16

IF YOUR BRAIN NEEDS A BREATHER FROM FIFA, DAILY FANTASY SPORTS, & PEYTON MANNING, THIS IS FOR YOU. HERE ARE A FEW QUICK FLASHBACKS AT WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THIS DAY IN "SPORTS LAW" HISTORY.

11 YEARS AGO...

Jaime, Labor Law, MLB, Civil, NCAA, CBA, NHLJaime MiettinenFebruary 16, 2016Alex Rodriguez, lockout, OJ Simpson, Heisman TrophyComment

There Is More On The Line Than Jameis Winston's Reputation

If you are not following the Erica Kinsman lawsuit against former Heisman winner and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, you should be. It does not matter whether you are a football fan or whether you know how to follow a case or whether you believe her story. If you are a living human being, you can learn a lot about the legal system and the sports industry's stigma of sexual assault from what is going down and what could go down. Here are four reasons why.

Jaime, NCAA, NFL, CivilJaime MiettinenFebruary 1, 2016Jameis Winston, Erica Kinsman, sexual assault, defamationComment

Michigan High Schools Are Participating In A Pilot Baseline Concussion Test, & It Could Be Game-Changing

Where We Are Now: No state law requires baseline testing of high school athletes.

Where We Can Go: Somewhere a lot better than the "now."

Back in 2013, Michigan became the thirty-ninth state to enact legislation governing sports concussions and return to activity. It requires that coaches, employees, and other adults involved in youth sports programs complete online concussion awareness training. It also requires that when an athlete is suspected to have a concussion, that athlete must be removed immediately and can only return with a health professional's written clearance. All states have some form of laws addressing concussions in high school sports, but many are quite feeble because they are reactive rather than proactive. Sports concussion law does improve young athletes' safety, but honestly, more should be done so we can understand brain trauma in sports to better prevent it from happening in the first place.

This is where Michigan may be onto something!

Jaime, High SchoolJaime MiettinenJanuary 21, 2016Concussion, MHSAA, High School Football Comments

What You Should Know About the Online "Fan-to-Fan" Ticket Marketplace

One of my friends asked me about a story she read involving a Kobe fan who bought tickets on StubHub to the Lakers' last home game of the season before Kobe announced his retirement. (Thank you, Angelic!) After the fan bought the tickets, the seller claimed to have typed the price incorrectly after Kobe announced his retirement and the price for comparable tickets skyrocketed. The seller canceled, relisted, and resold those same tickets. In the end, StubHub tried to find comparable tickets but came up short for the Kobe fan, and the Kobe fan was furious at how a giant like StubHub could play a role in such an injustice so nonchalantly.

The fan and the writer who posted the fan's story believe this is not right, though they use other words to get their point across. My friend asked me, "Is this legal?" My answer is a little long because the online secondary ticket market is full of complications, but the short answer is "Yes, this is legal from the online secondary ticket platform's stance."

With the convenience of this market comes risks for both buyers and sellers. Here are a few points y'all should be aware of to better understand how this market operates, what kind of role it plays in the sports industry, and why it is legal - however unfair it seems on the surface - for StubHub to handle the Kobe fan's situation the way it did.