Avilla v. Newport Grand Jai Alai LLC

OPINION

Justice FLAHERTY,

for the Court.

In the sport of jai alai, putting forth one’s “[b]est efforts” is a cardinal rule for players.1 Discerning when a player has put forth his best, or when he has not done so, is a highly subjective determination, and in the close-knit community of jai alai, careers may be damaged or destroyed on the basis of suspicions and opinions alone. In this case, brought by a discharged jai alai player, we are asked to determine (1) whether the Superior Court properly granted summary judgment in a defamation claim when a jai alai player’s employer told the players’…