The "growing list" of pro athletes crossing SAG picket
lines to film commercials for advertisers was examined by
ABC's Carla Wall on "Good Morning America." SAG
spokesperson Todd Amorde, on Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal, who
filmed an ad for Disney on Monday, said, "The fact that he
takes that profit [from making the ad] and donates it to
charity is completely irrelevant in this situation." Wall
noted other athletes who have crossed the lines include
"well-known football players," and track stars Marion Jones
and Michael Johnson. Amorde: "They're taking heroes and
role models, placing them in a horrible situation in the
midst of a heated contract dispute. And I'm certain that
they're not really explaining what the ramifications are to
them." Amorde told Wall that the union is now "in talks
with Shaq, hoping to resolve the situation without resorting
to disciplinary action" ("Good Morning America," ABC, 6/22).
NO FEAR? In N.Y., Don Kaplan reports that ad sources
say that crossing the SAG picket line "will probably have
little effect" on O'Neal's "long-term acting plans." One
source: "It won't mean anything to him. If he wants to work
(in commercials or in films), he will." However, SAG
sources note that "future shoots featuring O'Neal might be
plagued by a 'headache factor' in which members of the
technical union [IATSE] ... could refuse to work with him."
But an advertising source says that "this kind of action is
unlikely, since some members of IATSE are currently working
on commercial shoots, despite the SAG strike." The source
offered one solution: O'Neal "may be pushed to contribute to
the SAG pension fund in return for not being blackballed"
(N.Y. POST, 6/22). DAILY VARIETY's David Robb writes that
bringing O'Neal "back into the fold" of the SAG "will be the
job of the unions' disciplinary review board, which will
soon begin looking into cases of performers who have worked
on struck commercials." Robb adds the union is "loath to
expel a superstar like O'Neal" (DAILY VARIETY, 6/22). (#17).
A SOUPY MATTER: Meanwhile, Denver-area SAG rep Devon
Nance believes that Broncos RB Terrell Davis "should have
followed the lead of some other athletes" and not shot a
Campbell's Soup ad recently (see THE DAILY, 6/15). Nance,
on athletes crossing the SAG line: "It stings when they're
so high-profile that it gets out in the media. We're trying
to stand strong and are asking some individuals to put their
livelihoods on the line. The [NFLPA] sent out notices to
all agents about the strike. I don't think (Davis) could
say he didn't know about it" (ROCKY MTN NEWS, 6/22).
