Legal - Football Wiretap

Robert Kraft Pleads Not Guilty Two Days After Issuing Public Apology

Mar 26, 2019 4:20 PM

Robert Kraft entered a not guilty plea on two misdemeanour counts of first-degree solicitation and has asked for a jury trial.

The plea comes days after Kraft apologized in his first public comment since being charged for allegedly receiving sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, on Jan. 19 and 20.

"I am truly sorry," Kraft said in a statement on March 23. "I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard."

ESPN

Tags: New England Patriots, Legal, Suspension

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Owners Reject Replacing Onside Kick With One Play from Scrimmage

Mar 26, 2019 4:19 PM

NFL owners have rejected a proposal to replace the onside kick with one play from scrimmage. The idea was to enact a one-year trial of a fourth-and-15 play from the offense's 35-yard line to replace the onside kick.

Onside kicks are considered one of football's more dangerous plays.

The competition committee recommended the play by a vote of 7-1, but the owners still rejected it.

Barry Wilner/Associated Press

Tags: Legal

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NFL Looking For Online Streaming Version Of Sunday Ticket

Mar 25, 2019 2:42 PM

The NFL is considering splitting up the rights for Sunday Ticket to make it more widely available.

"We’re having great discussions with DirecTV and AT&T,” Goodell said. “We’ve had a 25-year partnership and we want to continue that partnership, but we also are looking to see how we can change the delivery.”

Last season, the NFL and DirecTV tested online streaming of games in seven cities. It’s possible the NFL could split the Sunday Ticket rights between a conventional TV partner like DirecTV and an online service like Amazon or AT&T’s own DirecTV Now.

“We’re looking to make sure that we continue to deliver this package, which is a premium package of great content,” Goodell said. “We want it delivered on several different platforms.”

Scott Moritz, Scott Soshnick/Bloomberg

Tags: Legal

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Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid Received Less Than $10M Combined

Mar 21, 2019 4:42 PM

Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid settled their collusion lawsuit with the NFL for less than $10 million combined.

Kaepernick filed a grievance in October 2017 under the collective bargaining agreement, alleging collusion against signing him to an NFL contract. It's not clear how the money will be split.

To put Kaepernick's split of the $10 million in perspective, his base salary in 2016 alone was nearly $12 million.

Kaepernick has not been with an NFL team since severing his contract with the 49ers in March 2017. 

To prove collusion, according to the CBA, Kaepernick and Reid would have had to show that a "club, its employees or agents" had "entered into an agreement" to restrict or limit whether to offer them a contract.

ESPN

Tags: San Francisco 49ers, Legal

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NBC Swaps 2021 Super Bowl For 2022 To Align With Olympics

Mar 14, 2019 8:37 AM

NBC and CBS will swap Super Bowl telecasts in 2021 and 2022.

CBS, which carried the game this year, will now do the 2021 Super Bowl from Tampa, Florida. 

NBC gets the 2022 Super Bowl from Los Angeles, and the network then will televise the Winter Olympics from Beijing. It had both the NFL title game and the Winter Games in 2018.

The 2020 Super Bowl in Miami will be broadcast by Fox.

Associated Press

Tags: Legal

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David Irving Will Quit NFL, Criticizes League's Hypocrisy On Marijuana

Mar 8, 2019 8:39 AM

David Irving announced on Thursday that he will quit the NFL.

Irving has been suspended by the NFL indefinitely for violating its substance-abuse policy for a third time in as many years.

"Basically, guys, I quit," Irving said. "I don't want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I'm outta there. I'm not doing this s--- no more."

Irving specified that his problem is with the NFL and not the sport.

"Everyone questions my commitment to football, but let's get it straight, here and now," he said. "I love football ... I wouldn't be here without it. Don't get me wrong, I love football. However, I don't love the NFL. The NFL is not football, you need to understand that. What you all see us do, the game and s---, that's, what, 20 percent of all the real s--- we're doing."

Irving was possibly smoking marijuana during the video.

"It's funny, you know, some people: 'Oh, you're addicted to weed, you're addicted to this and that,'" he said. "I mean s---, if I'm gonna be addicted to something, I'd rather be addicted to marijuana, which is medical -- it's a medicine; I do not consider it a drug -- rather than Xanax bars or the hydros or the seroquel and all that crazy s--- that they feed you.

"Like I said, it's not about smoking weed. How many NBA players you see getting in trouble about this? How many coaches you see getting in trouble about this? How many baseball players? How many UFC players getting in trouble?"

ESPN

Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Legal, Suspension

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NFL Considering Eliminating Conference Distinction In Next TV Deals

Mar 7, 2019 7:42 PM

The NFL and their television partners are considering removing conference distinctions on their next contract.

Under the current structure, CBS airs AFC games while Fox gets the NFC. Under the proposed scenario, CBS and Fox would draw from the general pool of games.

The most recent agreements with CBS, NBC and Fox went into effect in 2013 and last for nine years. 

Brian Steinberg/Variety

Tags: Legal

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NFL Salary Cap For 2019 Set At $188.2M With Another 6 Percent Spike

Mar 1, 2019 5:56 PM

The NFL has officially set the salary cap for the 2019 season at $188.2 million.

The cap has risen approximately 6.2 percent on last season's mark of $177.2 million.

The cap had previously risen 6.1 percent from the 2017 season to 2018.

The NFL experienced cap spikes of 8.1 percent, 7.7 percent, 8.4 percent and 7.6 percent before these past two seasons.

Bill Barnwell/ESPN

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