We owe Terry Lefton of SportsBusiness Journal a mild apology for failing to recognize the true import of his item from Monday regarding quarterback Matthew Stafford’s endorsement portfolio.
In our quest to dust off a cheap crack about Axe Hair reminding us of an Appalachian bowl cut (I really am as cool as the other side of the pillow), we didn’t realize Lefton’s broader point that, while the first overall pick in the draft has a hair deal, he doesn’t have a shoe deal.
“That’s how screwy the sports economy is right now,” Lefton said via e-mail on Monday night.
And perhaps we’ve opted to mildly apologize to Lefton so he won’t be too upset when we call him out for not recognizing the questions triggered by his report — in the very same column — that Tiki Barber has a deal in principle to become the new Chunky brand pitchman for Campbell Soup.
Given Barber’s role with NBC News, the deal potentially violates NBC rules.
And even if Barber isn’t breaking any internal NBC policies, he’s at least breaking his own word.
When Barber joined NBC in 2007, he said that he “no longer will do product endorsements once his contracts with companies including Cadillac, McDonald’s and Johnson & Murphy expire.” (His agent, Mark Lepselter, said the same thing.)
So what happened?
That’s what we’re gonna find out.
Fortunately, we now know some people at NBC.
Tiki's Soup Deal Raises Questions
Posted by Mike Florio on June 22, 2009, 10:32 PM EST
24 Responses to “Tiki's Soup Deal Raises Questions”
It’s Rhonde?
Tiki didn’t name every sponsor did he?
“So what happened?”
He changed his mind. Yes, it really is as simple as that.
Perhaps Tiki’s looking for a way out of his contract with NBC. Hmm…
This makes no sense. Campbell’s uses active NFL football players. Tiki Barber is an analyst. What is Campbell’s marketing message? “Eat Chunky Soup and you’ll have the energy to sit on your ass all day while giving your opinions and wearing makeup”?
Ratting out your new coworkers, huh…..that’s how you make friends.
Florio = Dwight Schrute
Tiki’s questionable soup deal = most uninteresting PFT post, ever.
Atikium is a fruit.
Please get to the bottom of this, Florio. I won’t be able to take Tiki’s hard-hitting journalism seriously if I know he’s only going to present a story in a way that pleases the soup lobby. Those bastards.
Florio your playing with FIRE. The NBC peacock isn’t going to be very happy with this story. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!!!
Wow…..this scandal is up there with JFK, Watergate and Hoffa. Don’t let them hold you back Florio…you can find out why he is going to be the face of Campbell’s soup. WAIT!
It all makes sense…….Campbell……Jason Campbell….Redskins….
Soup served by Snyder…..my friend, you are on to something akin to the Da Vinci code.
NBC News is an active paid pitchmen service of the President… How is that any different?
How many years does a player have to be out of the NFL before you no longer tell us about his endorsement deals?
Slow Joe says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm
This makes no sense. Campbell’s uses active NFL football players. Tiki Barber is an analyst. What is Campbell’s marketing message? “Eat Chunky Soup and you’ll have the energy to sit on your ass all day while giving your opinions and wearing makeup”?
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Eat Chunky soup and your former team will win a super bowl?
Florio…this makes you the real SOUP NAZI
An article dealing with soup and no Seinfeld references.
Florio, you’re slipping.
Tiki first tried to get Stafford’s hair deal.
Gee….with the story that Tiki may be out the door at NBC as he’ll have little to say this year….why not make your money elsewhere.
He already has one foot out the door. Next he will give speeches at community colleges and go back on something else he said he wouldnt do. This douche should just go buy a carwash and get out of the news.
The real story here isn’t that Tiki may have violated the terms of his contract. The real story is how Big Soup controls the media.
If we would just find alternative sources of soup, Big Soup wouldn’t have the influence they have now.
Oh yeah, thank goodness you have those NBC contacts. I really MUST know the details of this story!! Holy crap Florio…
NBC knows some people too: Ben Franklin, Andrew Jackson, U.S. Grant, etc. You start messing with NBC, those guys won’t be making the scheduled monthly visit to the Florio Junior college fund.
Isn’t it Johns(t)on & Murphy?
So I like shoes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
So this is the “new” PFT? Your NBC coworkers better leran how to cover their backsides because I can see you are bent on climbing up the NBC ladder.
Stay with PFT will have the latest rumors, gossip and speculation. Turn to Rotoworld NFL as a better source of true NFL info.
While I just started entering comments, I have followed you for years Florio, and this site is becoming more tabloid by the day.
i’m guessing money happened.