Romo's fantasy company fighting with NFL in court again
DALLAS (AP) A fantasy football company partly owned by Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is fighting the NFL in court again, this time claiming the league is interfering with a second attempt to hold a fan-centric convention by asking sponsors not to participate.
A Dallas judge on Wednesday granted Romo's company, Fan Expo LLC, a temporary injunction that bars the NFL from contacting sponsors after video game company EA Sports withdrew this week from the National Fantasy Football Convention planned for the Los Angeles area in July.
A hearing for a permanent injunction was scheduled for May 11.
The inaugural event was supposed to be last summer in Las Vegas, but was called off after organizers accused the NFL of threatening players with fines or suspensions if they participated because of the venue's ties to gambling.
''The NFL was not satisfied with torpedoing the 2015 NFFC, but has now engaged in a separate campaign to go after our sponsors for the 2016 event,'' Fan Expo attorney Michael Hurst said in an email to The Associated Press. ''We're proud to help our clients stand up for their rights.''
The NFL didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the filing for a temporary injunction, Fax Expo attorneys wrote that the NFL was telling sponsors to withdraw from the event because of pending litigation stemming from a lawsuit filed after last year's event was called off.
EA Sports withdrew from the event Monday, followed the next day by another confirmed sponsor and a prospective one, according to the filing seeking an injunction.
''The NFL is attempting to shut down the 2016 NFFC event, and thus there is no measure of monetary damages which can compensate (Fax Expo) if the NFL continues to interfere,'' lawyers wrote in the filing.
The NFL's issue with the original event was a plan to hold it at the Sands Expo, a convention center that is part of the Venetian Resort but doesn't have gambling or slot machines.
The rescheduled event is scheduled for the Pasadena Convention Center from July 15-17. Romo's top receiver, Dez Bryant, and Dallas tight end Jason Witten have committed to the event along with Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.
The event is supposed to include panels with fantasy experts and autograph sessions with players. Six participants will get to conduct a draft with six NFL players to form a 12-team fantasy league.
Earlier this year, a Dallas judge threw out a major element of the original lawsuit, dismissing a claim that the NFL intimidated players with threats of sanctions.
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