L.A.-based underwear brand MeUndies Dir of Business Development & Customer Acquisition Dan King said that the company is "now partnering" with Cowboys RB Joseph Randle. ESPN.com's Adam Schefter noted the company will "pay Randle enough to help defray the cost of the $29,500 fine the Cowboys imposed on him after he was caught shoplifting last week while also supplying him with enough" underwear to last "for a long time." Randle also will be "donating upwards of $15,000 worth of underwear and basic apparel to children in need and making multiple appearances at Dallas-area schools and charities to speak to students about learning from their mistakes." When MeUndies and King "heard about Randle's mistake, they reached out" to his agent, Select Sports Group's Erik Burkhardt. King said, "We told Joseph that if he was willing to take responsibility for his actions, apologize, and take action, we would donate $15K worth of product that he could give back to his community -- so that's what we plan to do" (ESPN.com, 10/19). But ESPN’s Skip Bayless said, “This made me sick. I'm embarrassed for my franchise, I'm embarrassed for Joseph Randle. He is profiting from stealing. He got an endorsement deal because he shoplifted. Did that really happen? I don't care how you want to qualify it. ... I'm surprised that Jerry Jones didn't try to put a stop to it." ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said, “This is beyond embarrassing, it's beyond egregious. It’s really disgusting, it really, really is. ... Crime does pay because clearly in this particular instance it absolutely does'" (“First Take,” ESPN2, 10/20).
RISKY BUSINESS: ADWEEK's Michael McCarthy reported Gap Factory has signed Giants WR Victor Cruz as an endorser and will feature him in its "holiday ad campaign with supermodels Chrissy Teigen and Chanel Iman, with ads breaking this week." Cruz also will appear in 15 different print ads "running in magazines such as GQ, People, Us Weekly, Cosmopolitan and Elle." The retailer signed Cruz "before he suffered a season-ending knee injury" on Oct. 12. Gap Global Dir of Strategy & Content Amondo Redmond said, "His popularity and brand essence won't change because of this injury" (ADWEEK.com, 10/17). McCarthy notes ABC's "GMA" "dropped a Cruz segment planned for early this week." The "debacle illustrates how athletic endorsers can be risky business" (ADWEEK.com, 10/20).
WE GOT THE BEAT: In Boston, Ben Volin wrote, "Memo to Colin Kaepernick and all NFL players, the league’s new rule banning headphones that aren’t Bose isn’t that hard to follow. It only pertains to official league functions, such as press conferences. You can still wear your Beats by Dre on the field during warm-ups, on your walk from the parking lots, etc. Just take them off for interviews" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/19).
