Some are placing "blame" on Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones for putting Papa John's Founder & CEO John Schnatter "up to" his comments yesterday that blamed a decline in company earnings on a decline in NFL ratings, according to Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. Papa John's has been the NFL's official pizza sponsor since '10, and Jones is a significant franchise owner, with the total number of stores owned by him "in excess of 100" as of '14. The relationship started in '04, when Papa John’s "became the official pizza of the Cowboys," and in turn Jones acquired a 49% interest in 71 stores. Eight years later, Jones "appeared in a Papa John’s commercial." For that reason, "look for the league office to take Schnatter’s complaints with a grain of salt." However, the NFL "should take seriously the fact that Jones continues to look for new and creative ways to push his agenda, which could be to push out" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 11/2). The Dallas Morning News' Matt Mosley tweeted, "It appears Papa John's is joining Jerry Jones in his bid to oust Roger Goodell. At best, the commish will no longer get free delivery" (TWITTER.com, 11/1).
ANYONE ELSE? DEADLINE's Dade Hayes noted other NFL advertisers such as Kohl’s and Buffalo Wild Wings have "expressed confidence in the league in recent days." Those brands said that they are "not deterred by the controversy or how it has been handled" (DEADLINE.com, 11/1). ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Papa John’s is the "only sponsor now who has come out" against the NFL's moves. Schefter: "I've heard of other sponsors, but no one wants to say anything or admit to anything. But when you talk to teams, the one thing I've been able to ascertain is merchandise sales are way down. They’ve taken a dramatic hit because of everything that's gone on with the league. We've seen the stories about the TV ratings, that's an issue. We've had season ticket holders and suite holders with every team in the league calling to say, ‘We are threatening to cancel our season tickets or our suite for next year.’ We're probably not hearing as much of this sort of stuff as has gone on this year, but I can assure you that it has been prevalent throughout the league this season” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 11/2).
A PIECE OF THE PIE: USA TODAY's Zlati Meyer writes "not everyone was buying the league as a scapegoat" for Papa John's financial issues. CFRA Equity Analyst Efraim Levy said, "The NFL was a factor, but not the only factor. Severe weather had an impact in the quarter as well as some industry-wide challenges" (USA TODAY, 11/2). Technomic Chief Insights Officer Darren Tristano said, "Like Subway in recent years, Papa John's has invested in athletes to market their products. When athletes are at the top of their game, these investments can pay off with sales growth but when you invest in retiring players like Peyton Manning and injured players like J.J. Watt to endorse your brand, the impact can be lessened. With team parity in the NFL, ratings have fallen and marketing has become less effective for brands associating with the league" (CNBC.com, 11/1). NBC Sports Bay Area’s Ray Ratto said of Papa John's comments, "This screams pandering to me. This is the only reason why you can't move pizzas right now? ("The Happy Hour," NBC Sports Bay Area, 11/1).
LOOKING AT YOU, ROGER: YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson wrote under the header, "Even If Papa John's Is Scapegoating The NFL, Roger Goodell And League Should Be Alarmed." With Papa John’s "trashing of league leadership," a new low "has arrived." With Goodell’s next contract "still unresolved, it’s fair to wonder if the future of the commissioner is on shaky ground." This is "what happens when a litany of problems cuts across every conceivable plateau." Goodell is "grappling with this on a seemingly unrelenting basis." Robinson: "Regardless of whether you eat the pizza or not, that’s a big sponsor." From a "visibility standpoint, it’s right up there with being the NFL’s official beer and auto sponsor." This is "like Ronald McDonald ripping someone." The "deeper point here is that Papa John’s is an NFL partner, and it took an opportunity to blame some of its own woes on the league -- whether legitimate or not." That "catches the eye of owners" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/1). FS1’s Jason Whitlock said of Papa John’s, "It's necessary for sponsors to speak out. (The NFL is) a television show, they're off script and it's bad TV and it's bad for business." But Whitlock added of Papa John's, “I don't think their sales are hurting. I think the man wanted to take a shot at Roger Goodell and his bad leadership" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 11/1).
BLAME GAME: FS1’s Shannon Sharpe said of Papa John's taking shots, "The NFL is low hanging fruit currently, and anything that seems to be going wrong in America with your company, or anything, it's the NFL’s fault. If Papa John's wants to get out of the NFL business -- it's important that they're also the exclusive sponsor of 23 teams -- go right ahead. I can assure you there is a long list of sponsors that would like to take (Schnatter's) place. He's entitled to his opinion, but I wish he hadn't made it personal.” Sharpe added, “To attack the NFL and its leadership personally, I think there's some needling from someone else" ("Undisputed," FS1, 11/2).
