Nfl Files Lawsuit Against Cowboys
The NFL escalated its war with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, suing the team for more than $300 million over agreements with Nike and Pepsi the league described as “ambush marketing deals.”
The suit was filed in federal court in New York following a unanimous vote of the five club executives who make up the executive committee of NFL Properties, the league’s marketing arm.
The NFL wants the court to order Jones and the Cowboys to stop violating their agreements with NFL Properties regarding club marks and logos, and prevent them from signing additional deals that undermine existing NFL sponsorship or licensing contracts.
“The Cowboys have made it clear through their recent actions and statements that they want to change the basic manner in which NFL Properties does business,” said Roger Headrick, executive committee chairman of NFL Properties.
Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said Jones was en route to Atlanta for an NFL owners meeting that starts today. He added while the team is aware of the suit, it would not immediately comment.
Collins joins battle
At Rock Hill, S.C., the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback sweepstakes has grown by one player: $23 million rookie Kerry Collins.
With Frank Reich and Jack Trudeau struggling and the expansion team off to an 0-3 start, coach Dom Capers announced it was time to reopen the competition, this time with Collins included.
“All three guys are in the mix,” Capers said.
Capers, whose team doesn’t play again until its Oct. 1 home game against Tampa Bay, said he had planned to give Collins a large amount of work in practice during the bye week.
Lachey sidelined
At Ashburn, Va., the Washington Redskins learned that left tackle Jim Lachey has a probable seasonending - if not career-ending - injury.
An MRI test revealed that Lachey, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and anchor of the 1991 line that helped Washington win the Super Bowl, sustained a complete tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder on the Redskins’ first offensive series of the loss to Denver.
“I think you have to face that question when you’ve had a knee injury in your ninth year and a shoulder injury in your 11th,” Lachey said. “You have to figure out if you’re able to come back, and if you do come back, are you the same player as before? I don’t want to cripple myself playing this game.”
End zone
Dallas starting offensive tackle Erik Williams will miss the next two to three weeks because of a strained left calf muscle sustained in Sunday night’s 23-17 victory at Minnesota. … San Diego coach Bobby Ross was hospitalized for dehydration less than four weeks after having abdominal surgery… . San Francisco offensive tackle Harris Barton will return to the lineup next Monday against Detroit after missing the first three games of the regular season with a left calf injury… . Jacksonville left tackle Tony Boselli will return to the Jaguars after missing the first three regularseason games with an injured knee.