Consulting Work

Sports Economics Consultant...

This page describes my work as a sports economics consultant. Mostly, this work involves work with lawyers on issues of valuation and economic predictions about particular legal decisions that might be made.

Descriptive History

The first sports economics case I ever worked on was a subcontractor on Selig v. U.S. under the direction of Roger Noll. That was the first time I realized that economic concepts applied to sports. Since then I have worked on a wide variety of cases and other issues.

Consulting Contact Information:

2206 Applewood Court

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Phone: (509) 595-0016

rodfort01@gmail.com

Sports Economics Case List

A list of all the sports economics cases where I have offered expert services.

Antitrust

  • Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, NY, NY. 2016. Competitor suing international sports federation for exclusionary practices.

  • McGuire Woods, Richmond, VA. 2015. Private high school suing Virginia High School League over entry into that league.

  • Pryor Cashman, NY, NY. 2011-2012. Soccer federation treatment of independent soccer promoter. Deposition.

  • Axxin, Veltrop & Harkrider, NY, NY. 2011. DOJ merger and acquisition investigation of MMA promoter.

  • Harness, Dickey & Pierce, St. Louis, MO. 2006. Impacts of granting MLBAM exclusive licensing rights to player names and statistics. Deposition.

  • U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Washington, D.C. 2001. Competitive balance in Major League Baseball. Testimony in the U.S. Congressional Record.

  • Heller Ehrman White McAuliffe, San Francisco, CA and McCutcheon Doyle Brown and Enersen, San Francisco, CA. 2000. Antitrust action against ABC and the Pacific10 conference (and others) on college football broadcast rights.

Antitrust: Amici Curiae and Regulatory Agency Comments:

  • Berger Montague PC, Washington, DC. 2021. Brief of Amici Curiae Sports Economists in Support of Respondents. Supreme Court of the United States. Case Nos. 20-512 & 20-520. March 10.

  • Zelle Hofman Voelbel & Mason LLP, San Francisco, CA. . 2018. Brief of Amici Curiae Economists in Support of Plaintiffs-appellants And In Support of Reversal. In Re National Football League's "Sunday Ticket Antitrust Litigation. United States Court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Case No. 17-56119. January 18.

  • Sports Fans Coalition. 2012. In the Matter of Petition for Rulemaking to Eliminate the Sports Blackout Rule. Comment of Sports Economists on the FCC's Sports Blackout Rules. Federal Communications Commission. Washington D.C. MB Docket No. 12-3. February 20.

  • Zelle Hofman Voelbel & Mason LLP, San Francisco, CA. 2009. Amicus Curiae Brief of Economists in Support of Petitioner. American Needle, Inc. (Petitioner) v. National Football League, et. al. (Respondent). Supreme Court of the United States. Case No. 08-661. September 24.

Stadiums and Leases

  • Palace Sports & Entertainment, Detroit, MI. 2010-2011. Issues concerning alternative arena construction.

  • Murray and Murray, Sandusky OH and Breit Bosch Levin & Coppola, Denver, CO. 2001. Class action suit claims an NFL team violated its lease clause on reasonable ticket pricing. Deposition. My opinion was read into the law of the case.

  • Wulfsberg Reese Ferris Franks, Oakland, CA. 2001. A lease/damages dispute brought against the Oakland Alameda County Stadium Authority by the owners of the MLB Athletics.

  • Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, Seattle, WA. 2000. Compensation over loss of location due to the construction of Safeco Field.

  • Washington State Attorney General's Office, Seattle, WA. 1997. Seahawk stadium issues.

  • Danielson Harrigan & Tollefson, Seattle, WA. 1996. Injunction against Seahawks breaking their lease. Written affidavit in aid of injunction.

  • The Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 1994. Review of economic impacts of proposed Blockbuster Multi-Media/Sports complex.

Intellectual Property Issues

  • Merchant & Gould, Minneapolis, MN. 2015. Estimating image value damage for a retired NBA basketball player. Deposition.

  • Mandell Menkes, Chicago, IL. 2013-2015. Estimating image value damage for a retired NBA basketball player. Deposition. U.S. District Court Expert Testimony.

  • Baker and McKenzie, Chicago, IL. 2011-2012. Estimating separate appearance and image values for tax purposes for a professional golfer. U.S. Tax Court Expert Testimony.

  • Ball and Scott, Knoxville, TN. 2010. Class action; value of likeness usage to FBS and Division I athletes at universities in Tennessee. Deposition.

Valuation

  • City of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA. 2011. Valuation of loss to a minor baseball league. Deposition.

  • Debevoise & Plimpton, NY, NY. 2010. Valuation of regional cable TV rights value for an NBA team.

  • Martin Clearwater & Bell, New York, NY. 2008. Valuation of a tennis magazine publishing business.

  • SFX, New York, NY. 2002. Estimating the value of a licensed sport management business name.

  • Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, Portland, OR. 2003. Territory dispute between an A Rookie League and a AAA team. Deposition. Testimony before arbitration panel (George Nicolau, presiding).

Wrongful Death and Loss of Earnings

  • Reed Smith LLP, Washington, DC. 2017. Unlawful Incarceration: Loss of earnings for a minor league baseball player. Deposition.

  • Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, Baltimore, MD. 2014-2016. Personal Injury: Loss of earnings capacity for a Major League Baseball player. Deposition.

  • Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 2008-2009. Personal injury; Loss of earnings capacity for a professional heavyweight boxer. Deposition.

  • Snow, Christensen & Martineau, Salt Lake City, UT. 2003. Personal injury; Loss of earnings capacity for Nordic Combined Olympic athlete.

  • Robb & Robb, Kansas City, MO. 2001. Wrongful death claim involving a professional football player.

  • Anderson and Associates, St. Louis, MO. 2000-2001. Personal injury; Loss of earnings capacity for a 5th round draft pick.

  • Robb & Robb, Kansas City, MO. 2000. Wrongful death claim against a professional wrestling federation.

General

  • Kensington Swan, Wellington, New Zealand. 2006. Impacts on New Zealand Rugby Union of proposed salary cap. Written opinion in the NZ Competition Commission record.

  • Senator Arlen Specter, Washington, DC. 2005. Assessment of letter of response by Commissioner Bud Selig.

  • Major League Bull Riding, Boise, ID. 2001. League economic design issues from the ground up, including the structure of the firm, league relations with owners, evaluation of value of franchises, and labor relations.

Other Cases

All of these were done well before I began consulting exclusively on sports economics issues.

General Antitrust

  • Office of the Attorney General, State of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. Antitrust consequences of children's hospitals merger.

  • Pullman Memorial Hospital, Pullman, WA. Evaluating the consequences of a potential merger with Gritman Memorial Hospital, Moscow, ID.

  • Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, WA. Antitrust implications of pricing decisions by partners in a newsprint firm.

  • Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, WA. Approach to estimating antitrust damages resulting from soft drink pricing decisions.

  • Perkins Coie, Seattle, WA. Approach to estimating antitrust damages resulting from soft drink pricing decisions.

Labor and Earnings

  • Summit Law Group, Seattle, WA. Economic forecast for counties in Washington for police and firefighter union arbitration.

  • Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 66, Lacey, WA. Economic forecast for counties in Washington and Oregon.

  • Bowen, Brassey, Gardner, Wetherell & Crawford, Boise, ID. Allocation of the value of a construction contracting firm.

  • Quane Smith LLP, Coeur d'Alene, ID. Personal injury compensation.

  • Bowen, Brassey, Gardner, Wetherell & Crawford, Boise, ID. Argument against hedonic evaluation in wrongful death.

  • Aitken Schauble Patrick Neill & Ruff, Pullman, WA. Estate value estimation (survivorship value). Deposition. County court testimony.

  • Goicoechea Law Offices, Lewiston, ID. Personal injury compensation; critique of hedonic damages.

  • Winston & Cashatt, Spokane, WA. Wrongful termination.

  • Peterson Law Offices, Lewiston, ID. Critique of hedonic accident losses.

  • Dellwo Roberts & Scanlon, Spokane, WA. Critique of hedonic accident losses.

  • Winston & Cashatt, Spokane, WA. Lost earnings for 18 plaintiffs due to wrongful firing.

  • Winston & Cashatt, Spokane, WA. Gender discrimination compensation.

  • Quane Smith Howard Hull, Coeur d'Alene, ID. Value of household services. Personal injury compensation.

Other Testimony

  • Governor’s Committee on Sex Offender Treatment, Seattle, WA. Sex offender sentencing alternatives.

  • Washington State Ecological Commission, Seattle, WA. Impacts of the ECOS hazardous waste incinerator.

  • Joint meeting of the Board of County Commissioners for Spokane County and the Spokane City Council, Spokane, WA. Ash landfill impacts on rural residents.