Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1995)
MSC Barber Shop Serving All Aggies! Page 10 • The Battalion Sports Friday • September 15, Cuts and Styles Haircuts starting at $6. Cowboys ordered to cough up caslil Seven operators to serve you Theresa - April - Marty Mary - Jennifer - Cecil - Karla 846-0629 c □ The football team lost a bid to stop a $26,000 worker's compensation settlement. • Open Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5 Ml W Located in the basement of the Memorial Student Center Half Off First Month’s Rent THE OAKS of VILLA MARIA ^ • (Garages • Fire-places • Balconies • Microwaves Ice Makers Pool Jacuzzis Shuttle Service (Close to campus) 823 - 2232 1305 W. Villa Maria, Bryan Professionally Managed by Lexford Properties AUSTIN (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys, who just agreed to pay $35 million to football star Deion Sanders, Thursday lost a bid to stop a former wide receiver from getting a $26,500 worker’s compensation settlement. The Texas Supreme Court turned down an appeal from the Dallas Cowboys Football Club Ltd. in a case involving Scott Randall Ankrom, whose knee was injured in a 1989 exhibition game against the Denver Broncos. The Dallas Cowboys argued in court doc uments that the case “is a vitally impor tant one to every sports franchise in the state of Texas and indeed every employer in the state of Texas.” The case arose after Ankrom, who left professional football before the beginning of the 1991 season, was awarded worker’s com pensation benefits by the state. The Dallas Cowboys’ worker’s compensa tion carrier. Gulf Insurance Co., appealed the worker’s compensation award in state district court in Dallas. Ankrom and Gulf Insurance agreed to set tle for $26,500. But the Cowboys intervened in the case, alleging that Ankrom had breached his contract. The Cowboys said Ankrom’s contract specified that any money he was paid during a time he was entitled to worker’s compensa tion benefits was to be considered an ad vance payment of such benefits. It said the Cowboys were to be reimbursed for such an advance payment through the later worker’s compensation award. The Cowboys said Ankrom played a little in 1989 and not at all in 1990, but that he was paid his full salary for both years. The Dallas district court ruled for the Cowboys, awarding the club $26,500 plus more than $20,000 in attorney fees. But the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas reversed that decision in March, saying the Cowboys didnt properly file their claim with a state commission while Ankrom’s case was being considered there. It was reported at the time that the ruling could hurt a subsequent effort by Wkjt Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to recover about $1 million awarded 16 other former players because of insurance settlements or worker’s compensation claims. Neither a Cowboys spokesman nor a lawyer representing the football club imme diately returned telephone calls Thursday from The Associated Press. The Supreme Court last month rejected the Cowboys’ appeal of the 5th Court ruling. On Thursday, it reaffirmed that decision. Ankrom, now a San Antonio busines; man, said he didn’t want to comment ont matter until he received official notificatioj from the Supreme Court. In appealing to the Supreme Court, Cowboys’ lawyers said the 5th Court dec:| sion “would destroy basic contract between employers and employees as wei as bind parties to an exclusive adminiij trative remedy even when remedy is patently inadel quate, incomplete and insq ficient.” The football club said if had used administrativl procedures, it only woulcl have been able to get a frat f tion of what it believedil was due. “In addition, the (Dallas Court of Appeals would terially affect the contraclJ between the players and tlisf clubs of every professional sports franchiss| in this state,” the Cowboys said. Ankrom’s lawyer responded that it wasl untrue to say the administrative remedyl was inadequate, and wrong to cast the mat [ ter as a breach-of-contract lawsuit rather] than a worker’s compensation case. Ankrom’s lawyer argued that the football I team “in essence, confiscated” his workers) compensation benefits. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ NEED CASH TODAY $ Up to $400.00 “/« Hand' Cash Over Amount of Purchase $ $ $ B/CS “Cash Back” Catalog Sales 814 Villa Maria, Bryan 775-4874 y\CVA Call Us for Details Open: M-F 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Jones earns bucks by bucking system □ The Dallas Cowboy owner has defied the NFL by signing deals with unofficial league merchandisers. $ $ $sssssssssssssssssss s sssssss sss: s: sss? > * S' Cowboy Limo Service WEDDINGS • F00TDALL GAMES ANNIVERSARIES • HOMECOMINGS / RODEOS • OR ANY OTHER SPECIAL OCCASION 409-776-L1M0 (5466) A IRVING, Texas (AP) — The National Football League’s tight- knit system for marketing more than $3 billion a year in licensed merchandise and dividing profits could fail into anarchy as a result of a challenge from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. In recent weeks. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has defied the NFL — and gloated about it. Jones signed deals with PepsiCo Inc. and Nike Inc., which are competitors with official league soft drink Coca-Cola and NFL licensee Reebok International Ltd, Estimates have put the val ue of each deal around $2.5 mil lion a year, Pepsi for 10 years, Nike for seven. Asked whether more deals are in the works, such as a much-rumored alliance with American Express Co., Jones replied: “Stay tuned this week.” Jones apparently can skirt the league rules by making the Nike and Pepsi deals with Texas Sta dium, which he also owns, and not with his team. He is one of only three NFL owners in that favorable position, along with Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and Wayne Huizenga of the Miami Dolphins. Some team owners have said publicly that Jones is hurting the league by putting his own interests first. The issue is sure to be raised at an owners’ meet ing Tuesday in Atlanta. Unless the league regains control, analysts say they expect the marketing of pro football to change — and fast. “I think right now as we speak there’s a lot of NFL teams going to the drawing board and looking to see what they can do,” said Brandon Steiner, own er of New York-based Steiner Sports Marketing. “We may see more deals this season, and for sure next season.” Jones wants to change the league’s revenue-sharing system, which dates back to the creation of NFL Properties in 3963. All 30 pro football teams run their equipment licensing through NFL Properties and split the roy alties evenly — about $3.5 mil lion per team a year. The NFL is a marketing pow erhouse, analysts say, with more licensed merchandise sales each year than baseball, basketball or hockey, according to the Licensing Letter, a publi cation which tracks licensing agreements. “The NFL is the most well- oiled, well-run sports marketing machine in America today. It is consistent, it delivers a good product, it is effective and effi cient,” said Nye don’t lessen the value of their NFL sponsorship, which comes from being able to use the lo gos of all 30 teams. However, any hint of change in the revenue-sharing system raises fears that football could degenerate into the kind of mess that has enveloped base ball and create imbalances among the teams. ma^an’d man "This takes a big chunk out of their aging director of armor. I really puts a crack in the Dallas-based Sports Market ing Group. “This takes a big chunk out of their armor. It really puts a foundation of the NFL and what they offer sponsors..." — Brandon Steiner owner of New York-based Steiner Sports Marketing crack in the foundation of the NFL and what they offer spon sors and marketers.” Steiner said companies that don’t want to sponsor the whole league — or those whose com petitors do — now may start ap proaching individual teams in stead. And that cuts into the ex clusivity of the NFL, he said. "That is a nightmare when you’re working from NFL Prop erties’ standpoint,” Steiner said. Spokesmen for both Coke and Reebok say Jones’ actions “So many other sports like baseball have turned into total anarchy, and that’s what you want to prevent,” Lavalle said. Analysts also say fans likely would be turned off by deals that raise doubts about whether teams are trying to subvert the $37.1 million salary cap. Ques tions arose last week when, days after completing the deal with Nike, the Cowboys signed Deion Sanders ~~ a major Nike client — to a contract that could be worth up to $35 million. Free Computing Courses! Computing and Information Services (CIS) offers short courses free of charge for every one at Texas A&M University. No pre-registration is necessary. All courses are offered on a first-come first-served basis. For more information, call 845*8300 or 862*3139. Microcomputing Short Courses p'or more information, call 862-3139. •Introduction to the Emacs Text Editor 6:30-8:00 pm Mon. Sept. 18 116 Bright The Best Pizza In Town, Ufonest. •The Access System lo:oo am Tue. Sept. 19 & Wed. Sept. 20 121 West Campus Library •Introduction to the Vi Text Editor 6:30-8:00 pm Wed. Sept. 20 116 Bright BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL •Introduction to Macintosh 10:00 am Wed. Sept. 13 121 West Campus Library Mr. Gatti’s FastFeast Buffet Specially Priced Just For You! Supercomputing Short Courses All You Care To Eat! Wylbur and VM/VMS Short Courses For more information, call 845-8300. For more information on supercomputing short courses, please call 845-0219 • Intro to Email on VM/CMS 3-5:00 pm Fri. Sept. 15 132 Blocker •Introduction to Supercomputing Tue. Sept. 12(1) Wed. Sept. 14 (II) 3-5:00 pm 39 Wisenbaker Part I covers introductory material relevant for the SGI Power Challenge, while part II covers that of the Cray • Pizza (lots of different kinds!) • SpaGatti (with Mr. Gatti’s rich 'n meaty sauce!) • Fresh ‘n Healthy Salad! • Desserts (including Mr. Gatti’s Dutch Apple Treat and Very Cherry Dessert Pizzas!) j ays o; Fai; . ?uish ’ Mly 1 ^dets 1th so me ar e f 0 Fuse i tlo n is ' v °mer I’he “Ut ni . de Serv : v ^siti Weekday Lunch UNIX Short Courses For more information on UNIX short courses, please call 847-UNIX •Introduction to UNIX Computing at TAMU: Part II—The C Shell 6:30-8:00pm Wed. Sept. 13 116 Bright •SGI Power Challenge Sept. 19(1) Sept. 21 (II) 3-5:00 pm 39 Wisenbaker Scalar Code Optimization:concepts and tech niques $2 99 Dinner & Weekend Buffet $099 Libe Plus Tax Plus Tax served M-F 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. served M - F 4 - 9:30 p.m. Sat. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. * Other Offerings: TO BE ANNOUNCED 107 South College • 268-8888 L On l Si, l°ftf e * h , ltl err Kj tica 3 ^wei at Se £ j j.j S shot 'C ar< \V ap! U a 8he ‘ f >d I ^ thf