# Can a pro sports league boot an athlete for doing naked photo layouts or even porn? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401 "2004-07-03T19:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/1 "2004-07-03T19:46:08Z")
Just curious. If a male or female athlete did a naked photo layout, or possibly even porn, while athlete was competing, could the league - ie NFL, NBA, WBA, MLB, US Tennis Assoc, etc. boot them from the league? ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/2 "2004-07-03T19:56:36Z")
IANAL, but I’m pretty sure the league can do whatever it wants (or at least try.) However, if there wasn’t an specific rule in the player’s contract or the league’s bylaws, I would imagine any attempt made by the league to ban a player would result in a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/3 "2004-07-03T20:16:55Z")
I don’t know, we’ve all heard of atheletes getting arrested for drugs, domestic abuse, etc. and they come out of it with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Why would a porn shoot be any different? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/4 "2004-07-03T20:18:58Z")
I’m sure the team _could_ put such language in the player’s contract. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/5 "2004-07-03T20:20:07Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > I don’t know, we’ve all heard of atheletes getting arrested for drugs, domestic abuse, etc. and they come out of it with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Why would a porn shoot be any different? Because it’s bad publicity. Seriously, slap that bitch all you like, snort a few lines, but at least try to be discrete. Don’t you dare moonlight as Dirk Diggler, though, 'cause you’re a rolemodel, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/6 "2004-07-03T20:23:05Z")
No, that’s why the players have a union. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/7 "2004-07-03T20:23:41Z")
The ‘standard’ contract in most of these leagues generally includes a “morals clause”, which says that they can be terminated for ‘actions contrary to public morals’ or ‘actions bringing disrepute on the sport’, etc. These are usually worded rather vaugely, and the application is somewhat arbritary. If you’re the top scorer, you’re likely to get a lot more slack than a player in a slump. Usually, top players have their own individual contracts, and they could ask to have these clauses deleted in their contract. I’m not sure if the team would agree, though. I think these contracts are between the player and an individual team, not the league. Though the league office can obviously put pressure on teams. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/8 "2004-07-03T21:09:18Z")
I don’t think the league could ban them, but many players have a “morals” clause in their contracts (mostly with companies whose products they endorse) that could be invoked. Interestingly, there is a real live incidence of this going on right now with the [Cleveland Indians.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/01/27/indians.gay.porno.ap/?cnn=yes) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pro-sports-league-boot-an-athlete-for-doing-naked-photo-layouts-or-even-porn/253401/9 "2004-07-04T02:36:44Z")
He can s\*\*\* all the c\*\*\* he wants on film if he keeps pitching for us like he has 🙂 Batting, too!