In late June, 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin won the inaugural (and perhaps only) “40 Yards of Gold” competition, and the giant novelty check for $1 million that went along with it. The check continues to be coated in rubber.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Goodwin still hasn’t been paid. However, Goodwin’s representatives are working toward getting the player’s seven figures “soon.”
Given the history of the event and its obvious financial struggles, that may be wishful thinking. Regardless, Goodwin is owed $1 million; at some point, he’ll need to consider other options, including litigation.
Goodwin isn’t the only one to be stiff armed by the event’s bank accounts. Vikings receiver Jeff Badet is still carrying around a tennis ball of a $25,000 check that he received for participating in the event.
“I’ve still got the check in my wallet,” Badet said Tuesday, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m keeping it just in case. . . . I just heard a bank was saying there were zero dollars in an account that they wrote it to, so it’s just one big scam. I’m calling it one big scam.’”
Officially, it’s still called “40 Yards of Gold.” The question is whether those owed money by the event will have to crawl through 500 yards of the sh-t smelling foulness of the legal system to get it.