Tom Brady along with the National Football League Player's Association are currently in a federal lawsuit in a U.S. District Court against the National Football League.  The case centers on the appropriate use of power by the NFL commissioner to act as labor arbitrator, but is that really what it is about? How did the loss of a small amount of air in a few footballs balloon into a federal case?   Attorney James M. Lynch of Stevenson, Lynch & Owens, P.C. recently wrote an excellent post outlining the legal arguments that both sides have, and why, in his opinion, Brady has the stronger case:  Brady Federal Deflategate Appeal: A Lawyer’s View .   As a lawyer, I found the analysis intriguing, but as a mediator, I wonder if the legal analysis of this case misses the point. Tom Brady isn't in court to stand up for labor unions.  The fans and the public don't care that much about whether Roger Goodell's decision was consistent with the "practices of industr...

The Child Support Guidelines in Massachusetts include the following provision: "Obligations to a subsequent family may be used as a defense to a request to modify an order seeking an increase in the existing order but such obligations should not be considered a reason to decrease existing orders." In short, this means that you cannot request that the Court reduce your child support because you chose to have more children (although you can defend a request for an increase on this basis). This could be really bad news for someone who is apparently unaware of birth control like New York Jets cornerback, Antonio Cromartie . Antonio Cromartie has a lot to say about the upcoming Patriots/Jets Divisional Playoff Game , but is less eloquent when it comes to remembering the names of his nine children (with eight different mothers). This video from Toucher & Rich (of Boston's 98.5 the Sports Hub) points out Cromartie's shortcomings in song: