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Leagues and Governing Bodies

NFL Responds To Romo Voicing His Opinion On League's Involvement In Vegas Convention

The NFL yesterday said that it "did not delay in its efforts to express concerns" about Cowboys QB Tony Romo's fantasy football-themed convention set to be held in a Las Vegas casino, and that it raised the issue as soon as it "became aware of the planned event," according to Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. The league also contends that it "spoke to the event’s organizers on more than one occasion." Romo claims that the NFL "never contacted the organizers, opting instead only to communicate with the union, and with players and their parents." The league "denies the persistent accusation that the NFL called players or their parents directly," a position it "has taken since the issue first surfaced" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 6/9). Romo yesterday said the “disappointing thing now is that the NFL had known about it when we started and they wait until a month before” the event to voice their displeasure. He added the league was not “necessarily trying to cancel the event, more than that they were trying to probably persuade people not to attend the event.” Romo said the NFLPA received a call from the NFL “expressing the fining or the suspending of the players” who attended the event, and “we didn’t quite understand what the NFL was doing since they had yet to call us.” Romo: “It reeked of maybe a scare tactic (by the NFL) with the players and trying to get, this late in the game, no players to attend the event.” He added, "It was about almost scaring the people attending the event and that’s just seems silly to me. We could have been far more mature about this and that makes you think it’s just about money” (“The Herd,” ESPN Radio, 6/9). Romo added, "We would have changed venues a long time ago if we thought it was a problem. It makes you think that they actually didn't want the event to be a success" ("The Ben & Skin Show," KRLD-FM, 6/9). 

WEIGHING IN: ESPN’s Mark Dominik noted there has "been a longstanding rule” in the NFL that players cannot be part of a “promotion or advertising for a casino.” Dominik: “Fantasy football had nothing to do with it. This event was hosted and advertised through a casino. That is a no-no in the National Football League" (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 6/9). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said it is OK if Romo is "disappointed," but he noted in the "standard player contract, it says that you can't do something in a casino." Kornheiser: "What does he want them to do if it's at a casino?” (“PTI,” ESPN, 6/9). But ESPN's Michael Smith said, “Policy aside, there’s a right way to go about this.” He added this is "no secret,” so if the league knew the event was scheduled, “why not save people the embarrassment or even worse the inconvenience of having this thing” by voicing their concerns earlier? ESPN’s Jemele Hill said the event is "for the fans,” and with some of the “image issues the NFL has had over the last year-and-a-half, you want your best players -- the faces of your league -- interacting with fans and making them feel welcome and making them feel a part of this billion-dollar industry." Hill added, "The big picture of this was lost, and we see it a lot with the NFL that sometimes they really do pick the wrong battles” (“His & Hers,” ESPN2, 6/9).

OLD IS GOLD
: The AP's Arnie Stapleton reports organizers of the Fantasy Sports Combine are "going ahead with plans for their inaugural event in Las Vegas next month in contrast to the Tony Romo-led Fantasy Football Convention." FSC Founder Bo Brownstein said that all he had to do was "replace the five active players he had lined up" -- Broncos LB Von Miller, Eagles WR Miles Austin, Cardinals WR Michael Floyd, Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams and Jets WR Brandon Marshall -- with recently retired NFLers. Brownstein: "Current players was a small feature in a much bigger experience. That feature can be easily overcome with marquee former players because their perspective is identical" (AP, 6/10).

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