Brady’s Bunch: Tom Brady and His Legal Team File for En Banc Rehearing

TomBrady
By Keith Allison (originally posted to Flickr as 836) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Deflategate might become synonymous with fighting for the “fundamental rights of American workers,” according to an ESPN article stating that Ted Olson, who leads Tom Brady’s legal team, is filing for an en banc rehearing of his four-game suspension. That means that all the judges of the 2nd Circuit Court are requested to rehear the case together. Whether or not it will happen remains to be seen, but Lester Munson, Legal Analyst writing for ESPN, speculates that Brady and his bunch of lawyers and scholars have a bigger goal in mind—the Supreme Court.

Deflategate in the Supreme Court

Why the speculation that Brady might be trying to stand before the highest court in the United States? One reason may be that Olson has garnered several amicus briefs—think of them like letters from a friend in one’s defense. According to Munson, this is common in the Supreme Court but not in lower courts. The argument, according to Olson, is not really about the suspension anymore. Focus has shifted to labor arbitration, and this is another reason Munson speculates that this case is headed for the Supreme Court.

2016 NFL and Tom Brady

Perhaps the 2nd Circuit Court will rehear the case. Perhaps enough of them (four of eight) will decide to rule in Brady’s favor. If this happens, Brady might get to play for the entirety of the 2016 NFL season. Olson is arguing that Goodell made some errors, which include destroying Brady’s cell phone in the course of the Deflategate investigation.

If the 2nd Circuit Court elects not to rehear the case, or if they rehear it and do not overturn the previous ruling, we might in fact see Tom Brady marching his team of lawyers, scholars, professors, and engineers up the steps of the Supreme Court.

Regardless of where this case is finally decided, Patriots fans and fans of the NFL in general can count on one thing: great discounts on NFL tickets from buyTickets.com. All you have to do is use the promo code “FOOTBALL” to save. Tickets are on sale now for the upcoming 2016 NFL season.

Cable Car Named after Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays

Barack Obama with Willie Mays
By The White House (P071409PS-0556) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Willie Mays, the former Giants center fielder and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, received a new honor on Friday, May 6, his 85th birthday. One of San Francisco’s famous cable cars was named after him.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s director of transportation, Ed Reiskin, said both Mays and the city’s cable cars are iconic. He believes naming one of the cable cars after the Hall of Famer was a fitting tribute. The cable car named after Mays was No. 24, which is his old jersey number that the Giants have retired.

Cable car No. 24 was originally constructed in 1887 and was rebuilt by Muni craft workers in 1958. That was the same year that Mays and the Giants moved west from New York to San Francisco. The cable car represented the city at the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948 and in Los Angeles in 1950.

Malcolm Heinicke, Mays’ friend and lawyer, came up with the idea to name the cable car after Mays after riding on the car with his son, Al, who noted that the cable car had the same number as Mays’ old jersey. Heinicke suggested naming the car after Mays to Mayor Ed Lee at the Giants’ World Series celebration that was held at the White House this June.

President Obama sent a videotaped speech praising Mays for his accomplishments on the field. Mays played in 24 All-Star Games and was named Most Valuable Player twice. Obama presented Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.

Mays took a ride on the newly dedicated cable car along with several city officials and other dignitaries. He spoke before the dedication and became emotional as he thanked many people for the good things they have done for him. Fans lined up to have their pictures taken with Mays.

Although Willie Mays is retired, the San Francisco Giants are still playing baseball. You can see them or another sports team compete in person. buyTickets.com sells tickets to Major League Baseball games and other professional football, basketball, hockey, and soccer games. We have tickets to see the San Francisco Giants or your other favorite sports team compete. buyTickets.com also has seats available for concerts by many famous musicians and theatrical performances. Order tickets for an upcoming event today.

Von Miller-Broncos Salary Negotiations at a Standstill

Von Miller (Broncos)
By Jeffrey Beall (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Von Miller and the Denver Broncos are currently embroiled in contract discussions that seem to be at a standstill. The Super Bowl MVP is not practicing with the team this week. If the contract negotiations continue to stall, he may not attend the Broncos’ summer minicamp or training camp.

The two sides are far apart. Yahoo! Sports reported that two sources have said Denver is offering around $18 million per season, or around $90 million over five seasons, and Miller is seeking around $22 million per season, or $110 million for five years.

The Broncos have taken a tough stance in contract negotiations with other players, including the following:

• Derek Wolfe
• Malik Jackson
• Brock Osweiler
• Danny Trevathan
• Ryan Clady
• Russell Okung
• Colin Kaepernick.

The team did not extend the contracts of Osweiler, Jackson, and Trevathan for various reasons.

General Manager John Elway and Director of Football Administration Mike Sullivan have been trying to limit the amount the team pays for players. Elway considers Miller a vital member of the team. Sullivan has been figuring out “salary slots” where each player falls. He also did that for free agent negotiations with other players. Sullivan has been leading the negotiations with Miller.

The Broncos are not considering Miller’s open market value because he currently has a franchise tag that they are using to keep him for this season and possibly the next. The Broncos used an exclusive rights tag for Miller that only allows him to negotiate with that team.

The Broncos estimate that they could keep Miller for two seasons for $32 million. That means the $18 million per season the Broncos have offered Miller is more than they would otherwise have paid. The offer would also make Miller the second-highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Unlike other players on the Broncos who recently negotiated their contracts, Miller has a successful and proven track record. Miller argues that he is the most versatile pass rusher in the NFL and possibly the most important member of the defense that won the Super Bowl. In five seasons, Miller has had 60 sacks (71 according to Pro Football Focus), four Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP, and defensive rookie of the year.

Since he played his first five years under the new labor agreement, Miller earned less than $6 million per year. He was suspended in 2013 for using drugs but was released in 2015 after passing every test for two years. He recovered from a 2013 ACL injury and had two strong seasons.

Derek Wolfe, a defensive end, signed a four-year, $36.7 million contract with the Broncos less than two months before becoming a free agent. He could have earned much more in free agency. Some people believe that encouraged Denver to seek discounts for all of its players.

If you would like to see the Broncos or another NFL team play this summer, you can reserve tickets now for preseason games from buyTickets.com. You can also view schedules for regular season games and order tickets in advance.

Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Brackets Released

NCAA Tickets - buyTickets.comThe 2016 NCAA college basketball brackets have been announced, and Americans are getting ready to figure out which teams will advance to the championship. The top teams are clear, but as anyone who follows college basketball knows, a stunning upset can happen at any time.

  • In the men’s championship, the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks are led by head coach Bill Self. They won their 12th consecutive regular Big 12 title with their win over Texas Tech on February 27. Kansas is in the midst of the longest active consecutive title streak in the country.
  • The Michigan State Spartans are currently ranked No. 2. The team is coached by Tom Izzo. They made it to the NCAA Final Four six times from 1999 to 2010 and won the title in 2000. The team has been chosen for 18 consecutive tournament bids with Izzo as coach. They have won one NCAA championship, made it to two NCAA championship games, and advanced to the Final Four seven times.
  • The Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are the team currently ranked third. They are led by head coach Roy Williams, who is in his 13th season. The Tar Heels made it to the championship of the Atlantic Coast conference last year.
  • The fourth-ranked Cavaliers represent the University of Virginia. Head coach Tony Bennett is in his 7th season leading the team. Last year the Cavaliers finished first in the ACC for the second season in a row.

In the NCAA Women’s Division, No. 1 seeds were awarded to UConn, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Baylor. Each of these teams won its respective conference regular season and tournament championships.

  • UConn is hoping to win its 11th national championship and to become the first women’s basketball team to win the title four years in a row. The team, coached by Geno Auriemma, has won 69 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in the team’s and NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball history.
  • South Carolina is a No. 1 seed for the third year in a row. The women are hoping to win the championship for the first time under Coach Dawn Staley.
  • Notre Dame has advanced to the Final Four the past five years. They are looking for their second overall win with Coach Muffet McGraw.
  • Baylor won the Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament. They are hoping for their third NCAA championship win. The team is coached by Kim Mulkey.

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The 5 Greatest WrestleMania Main Events of All Time

The 5 Greatest WrestleMania Main Events of All Time

The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25

 

WrestleMania 32 is just one month away – and with Triple H defending his title against Roman Reigns, The Undertaker taking on Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell match with McMahon’s inheritance at stake, and now even rumors of Goldberg’s return to the ring flying, there’s a lot for WWE fans to look forward to. Luckily we’re here to help take the edge off by remembering some of the greatest moments of past WrestleMania events. Read More

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