This week in sports: Deflategate, Paterno wins reinstated, and Wrigley Field sues Cubs in price-fixing scandal

Sports, Celebrity, News

The headlines don’t stop at the white line. Sometimes, they roll up the tunnel, out the locker room and all the way into the courtroom. Here are the week’s biggest legal stories in sports.

The NFL

Deflategate threatens to take over week with no other real football news 

Bill Belichick and his Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots have been accused of under-inflating footballs in order to gain an advantage over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game on Sunday. Eleven of the 12 balls used on the field were found to be under-inflated by 2 pounds per square inch.

The case is now in the hands of Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has an excellent record when it comes to running an investigation and taking disciplinary action. Sports Illustrated has a rundown of possible legal implications for the Pats.

Driver helped by Pat is in court for drunk driving 

Still in Boston, Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork assisted a driver who had crashed her Jeep while he was on the way home from the AFC championship game on Sunday night. While there’s no news on whether under-inflated tires led to the crash, the driver, Mary Ellen Brooks, was in court Tuesday to face drunk driving charges. ABC affiliate WMUR has the story.

Coaching carousel whirls out of control 

This carnival ride is spinning so fast I’m starting to feel a little queasy. Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is off to Denver as the new head coach, replacing John Fox, while former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was introduced in Meadowlands this week as the new, softer, non-Rex-Ryan coach of the New York Jets. ESPN has the latest.

Hernandez watch: Week -1 

It’s officially one week until the start of the Aaron Hernandez murder trial, which is set to get underway Feb. 1 and may run as long as three months. For those who’ve forgotten, the former Patriots tight end is accused of the first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd, whom Hernandez allegedly gunned down, execution-style, in 2013.

This week, both sides have trimmed the possible jury pool down to 30, of which they need to choose 12 impartial non-Pats fans (a tough feat in Super Bowl-bound Boston). Sports Illustrated lays out the important issues in the case.

College football

STORY OF THE WEEK: NCAA and Penn State reach settlement, reinstate Paterno’s victories

A new agreement has restored the 112 wins to the Penn State football program that were stripped as part of the 2012 Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal. The reinstatement restores the late Joe Paterno as the winning-est coach in college football. Keith Olbermann has some opinions about the decision.

Baseball

Wrigley Field businesses sue Chicago Cubs for price fixing

Have they finally found the real reason behind those exorbitant ballgame hot dog prices? Food vendors at Wrigley Field have accused the venue of violating the terms of revenue sharing and trying to fix prices. The Chicago Tribune has the story.

And those other sports

Solo will be playing solo

A week after the domestic violence charges against her were dropped, Hope Solo is back in the headlines. Solo and her husband, former Seahawks and Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens, were arrested — driving a U.S. Soccer team van! — in Los Angeles on Monday. Stevens, who has a record including arrests for alleged assault, rape, bar fights and probation violations, received a DUI charge and both were reportedly belligerent with police. U.S. Soccer has suspended Solo for 30 days. Deadspin has the story.

USWNT drop turf lawsuit against Canada 

A group of soccer players from the U.S. women’s national team, led by forward Abby Wambach, have withdrawn their complaint against the organizers of this year’s World Cup in Canada over field conditions. The players were claiming gender discrimination due to the artificial turf surfaces being prepared for the tournament. The men’s tournament is played on grass. ESPN has the story.

Boxer released on bail, bail revoked 

Boxer Jermain Taylor has pleaded not guilty to first-degree battery and first-degree terroristic threatening charges, saying he did not point a gun at a man’s head and threaten to shoot three small children at a parade. While Taylor was originally released on bail, he was later asked to return to jail over a previous firearm offense. ESPN has the details.

Concussion lawsuits spread to wrestling 

Vito LoGrasso and Evan Singleton, both former WWE wrestlers from Pennsylvania, have filed a potential class-action lawsuit against their former employer. The pair claims to have endured significant brain injuries after multiple concussions in the ring. Yahoo Sports has the story.

Sports startup sued by former employees 

Sports media startup Sports195 is being sued by former employees for lost wages and back pay. The site, marketed as a “social networking site for sports,” stopped paying employees in September of last year. Vice has the story.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

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