Atlanta attorney and NFL Coaches Association Exec Dir DAVID CORNWELL is profiled by Bill Rankin of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION under the header, "Go-To Lawyer For Athletes In Trouble." When "big-time athletes get into trouble off the field, they often turn to David Cornwell, who ... has built a national practice as the go-to lawyer for superstars in the soup." Cornwell said of representing Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ in the appeal of his 211-game suspension, "No doubt it’s cool to see our case in the news and everything. But that means both our successes and failures are headline news." Cornwall shortly after opening a law office in Orange County, Calif., "began representing athletes facing disciplinary action for violating substance abuse or steroid policies." His success led the NFLPA to "ask him to represent even more players." He then "moved to Atlanta and opened his own sports law firm" in '05 (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/10).
TAKING THE RIGHT APPROACH: St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell said he likes the "intelligent way" MLB and Commissioner BUD SELIG are handling the Rodriguez suspension, "because you know Bud had to be talked off throwing the hammer down." Burwell: "I think that his attorneys said, ‘Look, let's build a perfect case, we do not want this overturned, so let’s do it the right way,’ and I think they’ve done it the right way.” N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said MLB and the Yankees have "played this by the book." MLB “did not try to keep him off the field” and Selig “didn’t exercise his 'best interests of the game' clause.” Lupica: “The idea that there is some right-wing conspiracy to get Alex Rodriguez, he’s got to show me that. He has got to show me some proof of that" (“The Sports Reporters, ESPN, 8/11).
