MLBPA & Klean Athlete Partnership Offers a Way to Keep Baseball Clean

IN THE ENCOURAGING WORDS OF CELINE DION, "A NEW DAY HAS COME," OR AT LEAST WE HOPE SO FOR THE SAKE OF THE MLB'S CREDIBILITY IN THE FUTURE. THE BEST PART IS THAT IT IS JUST IN TIME FOR THE ALL-STAR BREAK AND VARIOUS HONORABLE EVENTS, LIKE THE HOME RUN DERBY, BEING HELD THIS WEEK.

Indeed, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) entered uncharted territory in the business world, and it involves a component that has has been a major hot topic for over a decade. Professional baseball is changing its strategy to incentivize its athletes to steer clear of products that may lead them - intentionally or unintentionally - to breach the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and place their future in the league in jeopardy.

The MLBPA and Klean Athlete Nutritional Supplements, an NSF Certified for Sport® line, have formed a non-exclusive partnership that is self-described on Klean Athlete's homepage as a "first-of-its-kind partnership designed to optimize nutritional health and well-being of players."

Jaime, MLB, Performance Enhancement, CBAJaime MiettinenJuly 13, 2015MLBPA, Klean Athletes, nutritional supplements, partnershipComment

How Title IX Contributes to the United States Domination in Women's Soccer

On Sunday night, the United States Women's Team won its third World Cup to maintain its international powerhouse status. On top of being the first three-time champion, the Olympic team has won four gold medals. Compare their norm of success to that of, say, the US Men's Team, who does not know what it's like to consistently be even a top 10 team. In a sport that is popular among boys and girls alike, why do we see this international success rate differential? Title IX likely paved the way for the Women's Team's success (in terms of being world champions and consistent international competitors). Here is a nonexclusive list of reasons why:

Jaime, FIFAJaime MiettinenJuly 8, 2015FIFA, soccer, Title IX, federal law Comment

Want to Win a Stanley Cup? Get a GM or Coach with a J.D.

If I had money to bet on who the 2015 Stanley Cup Champions will be, I would most definitely put it on the Tampa Bay Lighting because (a) I am a Detroit Red Wings fan and thoroughly enjoy tossing jabs at the Chicago Blackhawks all in good fun, and (b) Jon Cooper, the head coach for the Lightning, has a Juris Doctor. The Chicago Blackhawks have neither a head coach nor a general manager with a legal education, and they are the thorn in my theory. Other factors such as a storied history probably draw in on- and off-ice talent that attribute to its success. With respect to teams who may not have a comparable strength, though, this could be a great solution.

Your Opening Day Emergency Guide to Baseball's New Pace-of-Game Rules

Back in February, new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and the MLBPA wasted no time and announced a new set of pace-of-play rules to chop a few minutes from the game's dragging duration without substantially altering the game itself. These rules should get the game moving along more quickly after television breaks and between innings so that cutting a few seconds here and there can end games sooner, so long as the new rules are enforced consistently. The MLB says these rules will be enforced through a "warning and fine system, with discipline resulting for flagrant violators." Here is your quick overview of what rule modifications to look for just in time for Opening Day's first pitch.

Jaime, MLBJaime MiettinenApril 6, 2015MLB, Opening Day, Pace of GameComment

StubHub May Have Found the "Golden Ticket" in the Contest for the Resale Ticket Market

EBay-owned ticket reseller StubHub announced that it is filing suit against Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., the nation's primary ticket seller for sporting and entertainment events, and the NBA's Golden State Warriors, the team that some boast is now "clearly, clearly the best team in the league" and may have this season's MVP as its leader. In the complaint filed on Monday, StubHub alleges that Ticketmaster and the NBA team engaged in "unfair and illegal anti-competitive business practices that prevents the fans from deciding how they want to resell their tickets and which artificially drives up ticket prices." You can read the full complaint here at your own pleasure.

I know what you are thinking. How can a company and a team prevent fans from reselling tickets in the secondary market where StubHub operates, especially when Ticketmaster is mostly known for operating the initial sale of the team's tickets in the primary market?

Jaime, NBA, AntitrustJaime MiettinenApril 2, 2015Ticket Sales, Ticketmaster, Resale, StubHubComment

NCAAM Tournament Broadcasting Revenues Under the Law

Since most of us are dedicated to sitting in front of multiple televisions addicted to March Madness, I decided to present this post in a more interactive format to liven up your life. If you are curious as to why the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament revenues are distributed the way they are or would like to learn how they are distributed to begin with, this is for you. The madness in March is not just in the games themselves. It also has roots (or, should I say, a lack thereof) in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.