The legal battle between a fantasy sports convention owned in part by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and the National Football League is officially underway in a Texas court, and things got started with the convention being granted a restraining order against the league.
According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a temporary restraining order was issued to prevent the NFL from making contact in any way with the National Fantasy Football Convention. The NFL is also blocked from attempting to prevent the NFFC from holding its scheduled 2016 event, although Florio notes this restraining order does expire in two weeks. The NFL took issue with its players making an appearance at the event despite the fact no gambling was included in the convention package. The NFL simply didn’t want to have any connection to a gambling-themed event. A number of NFL players were scheduled to appear at the convention included Rob Gronkowski, DeMarco Murray and Eddie Lacy, in addition to Romo.
As previously reported, the convention is doing legal battle with the almighty NFL after the league allegedly shut down the convention to be held at a casino. The convention is accusing the NFL of harassing its sponsors. Among the allegations against the NFL is an accusation of contacting 13 of the convention’s sponsors to gather information about the event.
“In April 2016, when the Fan Expo published its list of sponsors for the 2016 event, the NFL immediately began harassing The Fan Expo’s clients and sponsors,” the briefing reads, according to My San Antonio. “The NFL believes that it does not have to follow anyone’s rules, including those of the Texas Legislature.”
The NFL, like many leagues in the professional sports world, continues to walk a line when it comes to fantasy sports. Some view it as straight-up gambling (which it is, of course), yet leagues are free to make their own contracts and business arrangements with fantasy sports companies. It’s all fine and dandy until the NFL sees potential income built off its product going elsewhere.
Perhaps it would be best to let the NFL step back from this one and admit it is OK if their players (assets) make an appearance at a fantasy sports event, even if it is on a casino’s grounds. There is no harm in this at all, and it just leads to nonsense legal battles like this one.
[My San Antonio, Pro Football Talk]
