There may not be enough popcorn for this one.
With Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threatening litigation, and with any plaintiff needing some theory of law on which a lawsuit can be based, the strategy is becoming more clear. Jones apparently plans to accuse the Chairman of the Compensation Committee of exceeding the mandate they received in May to negotiate a new contract for the Commissioner.
Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com has obtained a letter from the team’s general counsel to the NFL and all owners articulating the concerns regarding the negotiations on a new five-year deal for Roger Goodell.
Jason Cohen writes that Jones “has discovered a number of very concerning issues,” including a contention that Falcons owner Arthur Blank, the chairman of the Compensation Committee, has “misled” the owners not serving on the committee, and that “critical facts” have been misrepresented to them. Among other things, Cohen claims Blank told owners that the Compensation Committee would vote unanimously on the deal given to Goodell, even though Jones claims that the committee is not currently unanimous.
“Commissioner Goodell’s contract extension is a substantial commitment by the Owners, as more than $200 million is at stake, on top of the $200 million already paid to him,” Cohen writes. “This is in addition to the unique and largely unfettered power exercised by the Commissioner. Ownership can’t have the Chairman let us down again.”
Coincidentally, the Falcons and Cowboys play on Sunday in Atlanta.