This Sunday, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will face off in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. In honor of the event, we thought we’d look at some of the legal issues, past and present, surrounding this annual clash of the titans.
First a trip down memory lane:
- It’s been 8 years since Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime “wardrobe malfunction,” that lead to an FCC revamp of fines and regulations. The incident is still being discussed in the courts; it came up last month at the Supreme Court hearing FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. (read the transcript of this amusing discussion here or listen to audio here ).
- Dallas Cowboys season-ticket holders were promised prime seats for Super Bowl XLV, but were given “folding chairs and obstructed views,” so they filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, Cowboys ream and owner Jerry Jones.
- Check out Bleacher Report’s 7 Most Shocking Arrests in Super Bowl Week History to see some of the players’ pre-Bowl shenanigans.
And in preparation for Sunday’s big game:
- Is your workplace betting pool legal? Find out here. [You may also want to check out ASU’s rules on gambling and A.R.S. § 13-3302 ].
- Make sure that big-screen Super Bowl party doesn’t violate Copyright and Trademark laws. Read up here and here.
- Review the legalese in the NFL Rule Book.
- Rejoice responsibly in those football festivities. Learn how to stay out of jail on Superbowl Sunday.
- And if you’re in Indiana for the big day, watch out for labor law protestors brush up on “clean zones,” and be aware of blue laws that mean you’d better stock up on the booze in advance.
