How to Support for Your Athletic Career?
Here in the United States, athletes have been forced to get creative to fund their Olympic dreams. Overseas, on athlete apparently got a little too creative. Not surprisingly, authorities have clamped down on the New Zealand Olympic athlete who decided to fund his dreams by operating a brothel.
Interestingly, the athlete, Logan Campbell, is threatening to sue the New Zealand Olympic regulators for apparently trying to interfering with his livelihood (actually the article does not state the legal grounds upon which Campbell might sue, but that is the most likely avenue in my opinion). Prostitution is apparently legal in New Zealand, so Campbell must believe that he is doing nothing wrong, even though the governing body believes that it is somewhat unseemly for an Olympian to be promoting prostitution.
A similar lawsuit here in the United States, if these events occurred, could raise interesting questions about Constitutionally protected expression and speech. If the athlete operated the brothel, and it was legal - for instance, if it was located in a county in Nevada which permits prostitution - could the athlete have a cause of action against someone who asked him to shut down his activity? Is prostitution considered free speech if it's legalized? What would happen if the athlete was running a legal business, but one which some segments of the population consider to be offensive? As sponsorship money continues to dry up, maybe we will see someone test these waters.
If you are a professional athlete trying to raise money, consult a sports law attorney such as Koch & Trushin, P.A., before embarking on any significant expenditure of your resources in pursuit of your goal.
