There were a bunch of things I was thinking about blogging today, but I’ve been sidetracked by the trade of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. For a die-hard Philly sports fan, this is a lot to digest on a Monday morning.
Archive | Sports and Games
Did Anti-Semitism Prevent Hank Greenberg from Breaking Babe Ruth’s Home Run Record?
In this recent New York Times article, Howard Megdal revives the longstanding claim that anti-Semites on opposing teams tried to prevent Jewish Detroit Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg from breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1938 because of anti-Semitism: Evidence has finally been published that seems to resolve a 72-year-old mystery. When Hank Greenberg of […]
True Genius:
Every once in a while in sports, someone performs at such an incredibly high level that s/he simply elevates him/herself far, far above the crowd of even the most talented competitors — Gretzky at his peak, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods. At the moment (for those of you who can tear yourself away from March Madness), […]
The Greatest US Hockey Upset Since the Miracle On Ice
I just watched the US Olympic hockey team defeat Canada 5-3. In view of the disparity in talent between the two teams and the fact that Canada was playing on home ice, this is the greatest US hockey upset since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. As a one-time hockey player and longtime fan, I’m very […]
Mitchell Berman on the Instant Replay Debate
Some people think that the constitutionality of the individual health care mandate is the most important legal issue of the day. But others clearly believe that it is the question of whether instant replay review of NFL referee calls should be conducted under a de novo standard. For those interested in this crucial issue, Texas […]
Debate Over De Novo Review of Instant Replay Decisions Continues
Duke Law Professor Joseph Blocher’s argument that NFL instant replay reviews should reconsider on-field calls de novo has resulted in an extensive debate. The Wall Street Journal law blog has a list of various links here. I endorsed Blocher’s argument in this post. There has also been a response by Josh Patashnik of the New […]
Why Instant Replay Should be Like de novo Appellate Review
Most lawyers know that appellate courts usually review lower courts’ legal decisions de novo, while overturning factfinding and trial management decisions only if the lower court was guilty of “abuse of discretion.” In other words, if the appellate judges believe the lower court got the law wrong, they will reverse its decision; but they will […]
It Was Only a Matter of Time:
I actually discussed this idea many years ago, but never went any further than that, and now Josh Blackman has set it up: a fantasy league based on the future dispositions of Supreme Court cases! The basic rules: For each case on which the Supreme Court grants cert, points are allocated for * The Outcome: […]
A Win for Michael Vick
Yesterday, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that NFL quarterback and one-time dog abuser Michael Vick is entitled to keep some $16 million in roster bonuses from the Atlanta Falcons. The opinion is here. (HT: How Appealing) Now if only Vick’s new team, the Philadelphia Eagles, had […]
Getting it Right
As I’m settling in to watch some more fabulous Champions League soccer tonight (and for those of you who know what I’m talking about, if you have a chance to see replays of yesterday’s Arsenal-Olympiakos and/or Barcelona-Kiev games, don’t pass it up; spectacular stuff, that) it occurs to me that nothing about soccer is more […]