Menu
Labor and Agents

NFLPA reaches out to sponsors on domestic violence issue

N FL Players Association officials have been in communication with sponsors and licensees in the past few weeks to get their input and best practices about prevention and education programs for employees on the issue of domestic violence.

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith wrote to the NFLPA’s 100 sponsors and licensees last month that the union was concerned about domestic violence and wanted to take action to restore integrity and confidence in the sport, in the wake of scandals involving NFL players. Smith asked executives for any help they might offer based on their dealings with the issue of domestic violence in their workplaces.

The response from sponsors has become more analytical and focused on collaboratively preventing future episodes, says NFL Players Inc.’s Ahmad Nassar.
Photo by: KEVIN A. KOSKI
“It goes without saying that your company and all of our partners have excelled at training employees and developing an accountability structure that includes everyone in your corporation,” Smith wrote in the Oct. 16 letter. “We believe that you can be a valuable resource in these efforts.”

Ahmad Nassar, NFL Players Inc. executive vice president and general counsel, said that a majority of the 100 companies responded to the letter and that the union has had follow-up conversations with executives at some of those companies. NFLPI is the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA, and, through a commercial agreement with the NFL, all of the league’s sponsors are NFLPA sponsors.

Nassar declined to identify any of the companies that responded.

The information from the sponsors and licensees will be used as a part of the NFLPA’s comprehensive response, which is being headed up by union special counsel Teri Patterson. The NFLPA has assembled a panel of experts on the issues of domestic violence, as well as sexual assault and child abuse, following incidents involving high-profile players such as Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson.

Sponsors were concerned in early September when TMZ released the videotape of Rice striking the woman who is now his wife inside an elevator, Nassar said. “Right after the tape got out and the story was basically out of control, it was probably more about, ‘What are you going to do to make this stop?’” he said.

Since then, NFLPA sponsors and licensees have been more proactive, Nassar said. “The response is more analytical and ‘How do we work together collaboratively in the future to avoid anything like this, whether it’s domestic violence … or anything that reflects poorly on our players and the sport overall?”

SHEHADI
> WME SIGNS SHEHADI: WME has signed MLB Network reporter Lauren Shehadi for representation.

At WME, Shehadi, who hosts the MLB Network series “The Rundown,” will be represented by a team of agents that includes Henry Reisch, Bradley Singer and Ross Raphael.

She was formerly represented by CAA.

> TANDEM SIGNS NBA PLAYERS: Tandem Sports & Entertainment has signed three veteran NBA players — Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson, Indiana Pacers guard C.J. Watson and Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington — for representation on and off the court.

The players will be represented by president and founder Jim Tanner and agents Derrick Powell and Graham Boone.

Richardson was formerly represented by Relativity Sports. Watson was formerly represented by agent Mike Higgins. Ellington was formerly represented by Wasserman Media Group.

> ASM SIGNS O’QUINN: ASM Sports has signed Orlando Magic power forward Kyle O’Quinn.

ASM Sports president and founder Andy Miller will represent him. O’Quinn, drafted by the Magic in the second round in 2012, was represented by Ebanks & Sattler Law Firm.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/Journal/Issues/2014/11/10/Labor-and-Agents/Labor-and-Agents.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2014/11/10/Labor-and-Agents/Labor-and-Agents.aspx

CLOSE