Court won't overturn football ref's decision

This seems right. I cannot imagine the absolute mess that would result if a court of equity could get involved in reviewing decisions of game officials. It would make sense if the state association provided for some mechanism to challenge a game official's understanding of the rules. The suggestions of racial bias are troubling, but do not change the fundamental analysis. I also assume that the game official has been appropriately sanctioned.

Sports Illustrated article on O'Bannon v. NCAA appeal

I've written an article titled "Court Time: Will Ed O'Bannon's historic victory withstand not-so-instant replay?" in this week's magazine issue of Sports Illustrated (Dec. 8, 2014 issue). The article is on page 56. Hope you can check it out.

The stupidity of trying to regulate hate speech

Too often, the people doing the regulating do not get humor and satire. Latest case in point: the English Football Association has brought "charges" against star player Mario Balotelli (who is Italian, of Ghanaian descent) over an Instagram post of the picture "Dont' Be Racist," which shows how multi-ethnic (and thus non-racist) Mario is by reference to all the ethnic stereotypes he embodies.

The FA says Balotelli violated a prohibition on "abusive and/or insulting and/or improper," aggravated by "reference to ethnic origin and/or color and/or race and/or nationality and/or religion or belief." I posted the picture after the jump. Is it possible to sensibly see this as anything other than a joke, reappropriating stereotypes to undermine them? Is this really abusive or insulting? Or is this simply what happens--when you try to regulate words, context inevitably gets lost.

UAB Abolition of Football and the Intersection of Title VI and Title IX

The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced earlier this week that it was shutting down its football, bowling and rifle teams. The decision has been controversial in Alabama and sent reverberations across the country in college athletics. The university probably gave some consideration to the implications under Title IX with respect to the bowling and rifle teams in making the decision but did it look at the potential application of Title VI?

Even though closing of the bowling and rifle teams will reduce participation opportunities for women, the reduction in football participation numbers will drop the participation numbers for men below that of women according to UAB’s last Equity in Athletics report. However, closing the football program will result in a substantial decrease in participation numbers for African American males will be substantial and a similar impact on the overall participation numbers for African American athletes. Furthermore, bowling happens to be a sport in which African American women comprise a significant percentage of the participants in intercollegiate competition. Although the UAB team may not currently have an African American member, it is a sport in which UAB has the potential to offer African American female athletes participation opportunities outside of basketball and track.

Given the impact of the decision on opportunities for African American student athletes and the reallocation of resources to other sports, UAB’s decision may have Title VI implications.

Alfred Dennis Mathewson

The evolution of fan speech

During last night's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between Virginia and Maryland in College Park, Maryland fans chanted "no means no" and held signs referencing the Rolling Stone report about rape at UVa's campus and calling for the university to be called to account.

Two thoughts. First, how should we feel about an socio-political message that is being chanted to razz the opponent? Is it inappropriate or mean "too political," since it has nothing to do with the game or with any of UVa's players? Or does it reflect the inevitable ties between sports and society--in this case between a problem at the university and the team that represents that university. Second, it shows that we have improved somewhat in our understanding of sexual assault. In the early 1980s, a Maryland player named Herman Veal was accused of sexual misconduct; Duke fans waved women's panties and one fan held a sign that said "Did you send her flowers?" Yesterday's expression at least recognize sexual assault as a serious issue.

By the way, as the Deadspin report shows, there was speech all over that game. Students staged a "die-in" outside the arena to protest the various non-indictments of police officers; the protest included one member of Maryland's football team.

Does Adrian Peterson have a good case?

I have a new column for Sports Illustrated on Adrian Peterson's appeal.

I was also a guest on the Jim Rome Show yesterday to talk about Ray Rice's appeal:

Free speech in the NFL

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Five St. Louis Rams players walked onto the field in the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture; the St. Louis Police Officers Association is demanding that the players be disciplined and that the team issue a public apology. The full statement from the association is angry and unprofessional (not to mention loaded with really stupid football puns); it quotes extensively from the organization's business manager, a fired police officer now serving in the state legislature who has been one of the few voices opposing body cameras.

Roger Goodell is a coward and a liar. But will be really punish players for core political speech about a local and ongoing matter of public import? (Note: Yes, I know he can punish them; the question is will he and, if he does, how does he explain it away).

Update: It appears neither the Rams nor the NFL will sanction the players involved.