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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an exploration of the consequences of some of those practices—namely, enough litigation to fill an entire white party with white-shoe lawyers.
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an exploration of the consequences of some of those practices—namely, enough litigation to fill an entire white party with white-shoe lawyers. But first, a couple smaller items from Eriq and the legal world…

Tuesday Thoughts
  • Lou Dobbs’ death delays Fox defense: Electronic voting system company Smartmatic will eventually get to trial against Fox News over 2020 election conspiracies, but don’t count on it happening soon. Lou Dobbs was a co-defendant in the case, and his passing last week triggers a New York law that puts proceedings on pause until...
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White Party Down
White Party Down
For years, Fanatics C.E.O. Michael Rubin has created a nouveau riche fantasy life, best encapsulated by his Hamptons summer “all-white” party, based on his sports merchandising juggernaut. Now, a series of legal headaches threaten Fanatics’ I.P.O., and the industry, itself.
ERIQ GARDNER ERIQ GARDNER
This month, two events highlighted the outsize ambitions of Michael Rubin, the billionaire Fanatics C.E.O. who has reshaped the sports landscape through high-profile dealmaking. The first, of course, was Rubin’s annual all-white party over the Fourth of July weekend, held at his $50 million Hamptons oceanfront home. The celebrity guest list included the Kardashians, Tom Brady, Drake, Robert Kraft, and Leonardo DiCaprio, each of whom dutifully donned colorless outfits and left with a brand-new pair of custom Air Jordan 1s. Rubin, never one to miss an opportunity to promote himself, then...
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]


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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]


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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]
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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]


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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing+, the Tuesday protein boost to your usual What I’m Hearing smoothie. Regular readers know I’m not a huge fan of Michael Rubin, C.E.O. of the sports apparel company Fanatics, mostly because of his shameless self-promotion and reputation for, uh, aggressive business practices. Today, Eriq Gardner is here with an […]

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