Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Leagues and Governing Bodies

NFL SUES JONES FOR AMBUSH MARKETING, SEEKS $300M IN DAMAGES

     NFL Properties filed suit in U.S. District Court in New York
yesterday against Jerry Jones, the Cowboys and Texas Stadium to
prevent them from signing any additional deals that could
"undermine" NFL Properties.  In addition, the league is seeking
danages in excess of $300M.  In Dallas, Rick Gosselin writes
Jones' Texas Stadium licensing deals with Pepsi, Nike and Dr
Pepper independent of the league "had been inviting a fight with
the NFL. ... On Monday, he got it."  Jones: "It's not smart for
the NFL to do this.  If I had wanted to, to be an advocate of
what I want to do, if I had wanted to be litigious about it, I
could have done that months ago."  Gosselin reports that the
suit, filed just before today's special meeting of NFL owners in
Atlanta to discuss NFL Properties, "caught most owners by
surprise" as they arrived on the eve of the meeting -- "but not
Jones."  Jones told the MORNING NEWS:  "They're cheapskates.
I've been sued for a billion before ... and beat them, too"
(DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/19).  More from Jones: "There's no
question in my mind that I'll beat this and win.  Had I had any
doubt about that, well I wouldn't, basically, be advocating what
I'm doing, or for that matter, be doing what I'm doing"
("SportsCenter," ESPN, 9/18).  Jones told CNN:  "I have no doubt
I will prevail, and I'm extremely disappointed in the timing of
this.  The Commissioner is an attorney, he leans toward
litigation, so this is no surprise" ("Sports Tonight," 9/18).
     BRING IN THE SUITS:  The NFL asks the court to order that
the Cowboys "not take any further action that damages the
relationship between NFL Properties and its current and future
national licensees and sponsors," according to NFLP Exec
Committee Chair Roger Headrick (NFL).  Harvard Law Professor Paul
Weiler, on court action between Jones and the league:  "My best
bet, and I certainly would bet on it, is that he'll win"
("SportsCenter," ESPN, 9/18).
     PREEMPTIVE STRIKE?  On "SportsCenter," Keith Olbermann noted
ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes the NFL sued on Monday night
because they thought Jones was going to announce a deal with
American Express today.  Olbermann added that only the five
members of the Executive Committee of NFL Properties knew of the
litigation.  Mortensen reports the committee wanted it kept a
secret because they feared Jones would sue the NFL first in
Texas.  The league evidently prefered to keep litigation in New
York (ESPN, 9/18).  The five members of the Exec Committee of NFL
Properties:  the Vikings' Headrick, Jets' Steve Gutman, Steelers'
Dan Rooney, Falcons' Taylor Smith, and Jaguars' Wayne Weaver.
Jones is also said to be negotiating with Disney and Warner Bros.
about possible sponsorship agreements (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM,
9/19).  SI's Peter King tells USA TODAY that "the final straw"
for the NFL was bringing Nike's Phil Knight on the sidelines for
"Monday Night Football" to trumpet Jones' "unauthorized" deal
with the shoe maker (USA TODAY, 9/19).
     GONNA GET UGLY:  In this morning's FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM,
Mike Fisher cites "an NFL source" who said that Jones has
prepared a "counterattack" for today's meetings.  The source: "If
any owner stands up at this meeting and tries to say what Jerry
is doing isn't in the best interests of the NFL, it's going to
get ugly.  Because Jerry can shout them down, one by one, by
pointing out things each of them have done that aren't in the
best interest of the league.  It's going to get personal" (FT.
WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/19).  Michael Hiestand reports that
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft "still might propose a plan he hopes
could placate Jones."  Kraft's proposal would allow each team to
keep half of revenues from merchandise sales and pool the
remaining half.  The pool would be split according to each team's
market size.  SI's Peter King, on the possibility of Kraft's plan
being introduced today: "That's not out the window, but this suit
casts a pall" (USA TODAY, 9/19).  The NFL's 30 teams have split
all revenue from NFL Properties (currently $3.5M per team, per
year) since '63 (WASHINGTON POST, 9/19).  Jones' deals with Nike
and Pepsi are each estimated to be worth about $2.5M a year
(NEWSDAY, 9/19).
     TAKING SIDES:  ESPN's Chris Mortensen noted a "handful" of
owners are on Jones side ("NFL Prime Monday," 9/18); but there
was no public support for Jones from any owners last night or in
this morning's coverage.  Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt:  "It's a
regrettable situation that we have to have arguments and disputes
in an era when the league is really going so well."  Patriots'
Kraft: "I personally have tried to keep [Jones] within the
borders -- from straying beyond the borders.  I don't want to see
this thing get screwed up.  We have labor peace. ... It diverts
attention and energy from the things we do well" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 9/19).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1995/09/19/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/NFL-SUES-JONES-FOR-AMBUSH-MARKETING-SEEKS-$300M-IN-DAMAGES.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1995/09/19/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/NFL-SUES-JONES-FOR-AMBUSH-MARKETING-SEEKS-$300M-IN-DAMAGES.aspx

CLOSE