Sports Figures Targeted

Lawsuits Involving Sports Figures

Coaches, athletes, sports organizations: They've all been targets for lawsuits. Here are some of the most famous suits involving sports personalities.

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Sports Figures T... Coaches, athletes, sports organizations: They've all been targets for lawsuits. Here are some of the most famous suits involving sports personalities.
Gillispie Sues K... Former coach Billie Gillispie sued the University of Kentucky for wrongful termination in 2009, even though he never signed an official contract with the school. The two parties settled for $2.9 million in October. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
West Virginia Su... Coming off of several successful seasons, West Virginia University rewarded football coach Rich Rodriguez with a new contract in 2006, including a buyout clause of $4 million. When the coach left for the University of Michigan in 2007, WVU sued. Michigan was forced to pay West Virginia $2.5 million, while Rodriguez was ordered to pay $1.5 million to his former employer. (AP Photo/Tony Ding, File)
Spree Sues the N... Following his year-long suspension in 1997 for choking coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Golden State Warriors terminated Sprewell's $23.7 million, three-year contract. Sprewell sued the league and the Warriors. Following arbitration, the suspension was cut, and the contract voiding was overturned. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Wynn Files on Ba... Former NBA star and current TNT commentator Charles Barkley was sued in 2008 by the Wynn casino in Las Vegas for alleged unpaid gambling debts of $400,000. The case is still pending. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)
'Nails' Gets Hit Former Phillies and Mets star outfielder Lenny Dykstra has been the subject of more than two dozen lawsuits since 2007 over unpaid business debts. The man who was touted as an investing legend following his playing career was reported to be living out of his car. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
QB Sues The U During Dennis Erickson's tenure at the University of Miami, the school was sued by a quarterback who alleged that the coach promised he would start. The player claimed his benching would negatively impact his ability to make a career as a pro quarterback. The lawsuit was dismissed. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Title IX This famed 1972 lawsuit forced colleges and universities to allow equal opportunity for female athletes as males. This caused a boom in women's college athletics in the 1980s and '90s, leading to such events as the Women's World Cup and leagues like the WNBA. (AP Photo/Michael Caulfield)
Brown's Likeness... Former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown and other former NFL stars sued video game maker EA Sports for their use of the athletes' likenesses as players in September 2009. The suit was dismissed, with the ruling judge saying the game maker's use of the images was protected by the First Amendment. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Reynolds Challen... Long before the days of BALCO, track star Butch Reynolds sued the U.S. Olympic Committee over testing procedures which led to his positive drug test in 1990. The suit carried on until the Olympic trials in 1992. When the courts found the testing procedures were flawed, Reynolds was allowed to compete. (AP Photos/Doug Mills)
Fielder Files De... Former Detroit Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder filed a defamation suit against Gannet, owner of the Detroit News, after the paper printed claims that Fielder was being sued for unpaid gambling debts. The suit was dismissed. (AP photo/Duane Burleson)
Drug Suspension ... Striker Adrian Mutu signed a big contract with English club Chelsea in 2003 for 29.3 million euros, making him the highest-paid Romanian soccer player of all time. When Mutu tested positive for cocaine in 2004, Chelsea sued the striker. In September 2009, the European Court for Arbitration in Sports ruled in favored of the club, ordering Mutu to pay 17.17 million euros. (AP Photo/Michal Kamaryt,CTK)