USMNT Berhalter Investigation, Livvy Dunne AI Controversy, Michael Irvin Defamation, and Shaq-FTX Service Avoidance
Welcome back to THE Sports Law Podcast! This is your one-stop shop for all things sports law. In this episode, Stephanie Weissenburger (@SWeissenburger_) and Emily Costanzo (@EmilyCostanzo_) discuss the latest in the world of sports and law. The investigation into USMNT Head Coach Greg Berhalter revealed some interesting facts regarding the relationship between the coach and Claudio Reyna. (3:40) US Soccer released their report on the coach including all of Berhalter's statements regarding Claudio and some of the reasons that Gio Reyna was benched during the most recent World Cup. Berhalter is still in the running to retain the Men's Head Coaching position but with all of the drama surrounding his relationship with the players, it is not a certainty that he keeps the position. Michale Irvin has filed a defamation lawsuit against Marriott Hotels following an incident that led to his dismissal from the NFL Network's coverage of the Super Bowl. (12:17) Irvins case is based on allegations made against him by an employee of the hotel during his stay. In the course of the lawsuit, a video was released that showed the interaction between Irvin and the employee which seems to contradict the allegations of the hotel. The case is ongoing with Irvin asking for damages up to $100 million which is not out of possibility given the value he brings to the NFL Network and the potential damage to his reputation if his suit is successful. LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has added yet another NIL deal to her portfolio but this one could cause some controversy. (22:35) Dunne recently partnered with Caktus AI which touts itself as the first-ever educational AI tool. The AI can write essays or solve questions that are placed into the program. Given the way the product is geared toward students, LSU released a statement stating that the use of such AI could be against the academic code of the university. This NIL deal seems to highlight the wild west nature of the NIL landscape and how institutions have to act on their feet when problems such as this one arise. Stories have emerged that Shaquille O'Neal might be evading the serving of process in connection with the FTX lawsuit. (35:18) While the stories seem to imply that he has been hiding in his house to avoid this, recently Shaq attended his 51st birthday out in public. The FTX lawsuit has roped in many prominent athletes including Tom Brady and Steph Curry. The lawsuit claims that individuals relied on celebrities when it came to investing in cryptocurrency. They claim the losses from the drop in cryptocurrency value were a result of their reliance on the endorsements of the athletes. *** Have a topic you want to write about? ANYONE and EVERYONE can publish for ConductDetrimental.com. Let us know if you want to join the team. Hosts: Dan Wallach (@WallachLegal) | Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust) Producers: Justin Mader (@MaderLaw) Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Website | Email --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/condetrimental/support