Yikes! NASCAR is suing AT&T for 100 million!

[Matt]

According to That's Racing, the racing web presence of the Charlotte Observer, NASCAR has filed a countersuit against Ma Bell asking for 100 mill in damages.

Sayeth, NASCAR's suits, Cingular’s refusal to follow NASCAR rules and accept NASCAR’s denial of this paint scheme, and the filing of this lawsuit, has undermined NASCAR’s authority as the sanctioning body of stock car auto racing.

Well yeah, that and a series of boneheaded decisions by Brian France.

[Earl]

Yeah, they earned that move from Jesse "empty your pockets" Jackson  and Al "shakedown" Sharpton in their extortion of Nascar

[HUDSON HORNET]

You've GOT to be kidding!
Right?
100 million?
For not following NA$CAR's rules?

Boy! That oughta incourage other sponsors to get into NA$CAR.
Ya reckon?

I hope Kentucky prevails in their monopoly suit.
That'd bring The Brian to his knees, ..... crying,
"DETREMENTAL TO STOCK CAR RACING!"

Deep pockets gettin' picked.     
Stockholders bailin' left and right.
Buy low, sell lower.

It'll give the word "crash" a whole new meaning. 
(Besides running into killer attack palm stumps.) 

[flamehothead]

I have a feeling the Judge in this case will see thru all of this like the last one did. If a Judge ordered Nascar to let RCR put a AT&T decal on the car then I really don't see the problem. One Judge cannot override another Judge's decision on a case that has already been ruled on but I may be wrong.

Evidently there was something in the contract that gave AT&T the right to be on the #31 car or it wouldn't have happened.

Here is a story from Jayski.com.

NASCAR Counter Sues AT&T for $100 Million: Today NASCAR filed a counter claim in U.S. District Court against AT&T Mobility/Cingular Wireless and AT&T Inc., alleging breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, and conspiracy to aid and abet wrongful interference with NEXTEL’s exclusive sponsorship agreement. NASCAR is seeking a minimum of $100 million in damages. The NASCAR Rule Book governs participation in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and its contents are agreed to in writing by all NASCAR members and participants. Cingular is a member of NASCAR and agreed to abide by all NASCAR rules and regulations when its representatives signed official documents such as the NASCAR Membership and License Application. NASCAR’s suit further alleges that AT&T, Cingular and its representatives breached its explicit agreements with NASCAR when they re-branded the #31 car; entered into contract with RCR knowing that they would litigate against NASCAR; and when they sought to ambush Nextel’s exclusive sponsorship rights. NASCAR also submitted its response today to a suit filed by AT&T Mobility/Cingular Wireless by soundly rejecting each of their claims. The response demonstrates the clarity of NASCAR’s rule book and the baseless allegations made by AT&T Mobility/Cingular Wireless in its attempts to re-brand the #31.(NASCAR PR)(6-17-2007)

[HUDSON HORNET]

Well!
Wouldn't it be something if the courts got a peek at the Official NA$CAR Rulebook?
Hmmmmmmm?

I wonder if The Brian REALLY wants THAT to happen? 

What's that I hear?
Laughter?   

While the courts are at it, why not get The Brian to open the NA$CAR books too.
That should be interesting.

The Brian is acting more like a mad scientist every day.

[Matt]

Update on the Empire Strikes Back: In the lawsuit NASCAR asks the judge to rule that they can throw out all telecommunication companies other than Nextel, meaning Roger Penske would also lose the Altel sponsorship for the 12 team.

[smyler]

First of all, I doubt that NASCAR will prevail.  Secondly, I can officially say that I am stunned that NASCAR would throw up a huge middle finger to all of it's fans, like this.  This is a loathsome and despicable act.  I'm in serious conflict here, wondering how in the world I can support a sport with so much greed and corruption.  A little greed is good.  It causes the whole capitalistic system, but this is crazy.  Brian France is going to see some unintended consequences from this one.  I would like the opportunity to say that to his face, in a calm and humble manner. 

I have to throw a second on that movement that hopes the Kentucky lawsuit prevails.  The France family did a wonderful thing in bringing up NASCAR, but now someone else needs to be at the helm.

Is there anyone who can please explain to me how this is not as bad as I think it is?  I'm serious, when I read the news about this, yesterday, I not only felt disillusionment but also became ill to my stomach.  This is the move of a madman, in my opinion.

[flamehothead]

Brian France want's to be the "King" of his hill and he will do whatever it takes to be the "King". I think this shows just how BAD of a guy he really is by wanting to get rid of EVERY Telecommunication Company in the Sport and he doesn't care who it affects.

Brian France cares about ONE thing and ONE thing only and that is M.O.N.E.Y. He doesn't care about the fans or ANYONE else. 

How many Companies did he just scare off with a remark like that? Who would want to invest Millions into a sport where the President of that sport could have another Temper-Tantrum and says he wants all of the Food companies out, Not I.

Let's say this DOES happen, Look at all the people this could effect. What if these teams can't find a sponsor and all the employees lose their jobs?

This is where I would like the people who LIKE Brian France to speak up and Defend him but of course they will wait until he does something NICE for someone THEN they will speak up lol.

[The Voice]

Brian France want's to be the "King" of his hill and he will do whatever it takes to be the "King". I think this shows just how BAD of a guy he really is by wanting to get rid of EVERY Telecommunication Company in the Sport and he doesn't care who it affects.

Brian France cares about ONE thing and ONE thing only and that is M.O.N.E.Y. He doesn't care about the fans or ANYONE else. 

How many Companies did he just scare off with a remark like that? Who would want to invest Millions into a sport where the President of that sport could have another Temper-Tantrum and says he wants all of the Food companies out, Not I.

Let's say this DOES happen, Look at all the people this could effect. What if these teams can't find a sponsor and all the employees lose their jobs?

This is where I would like the people who LIKE Brian France to speak up and Defend him but of course they will wait until he does something NICE for someone THEN they will speak up lol.

I will point out that you haven't seen the contract Sprint/NEXTEL has as the title sponsor and it could well be that France is trying to protect that.

If I spent the hundreds of millions that Sprint NEXTEL spent to have that right, I'd probably be applauding Brian France's actions. And he does need to protect that. NASCAR has to have that title sponsor to remain viable. 

[smyler]

It has been reported many times that the current contract with NEXTEL does not allow new communications companies but it allows current ones to stay in the sponsorship business. 

[HUDSON HORNET]

IMO, if the present contract with Nextel DOES allow what The Brian is attempting to do, then the contract is all wrong. Since when is a sponsor in charge of what other sponsors are allowed to sponsor, --- teams and/or events? Sure seems counter-productive to me. And a tad like a monoploy.
Does Nextel actually believe that by being the only sponsor of it's type that their business will increase? If so, I think they're as greedy as The Brian. Both of their actions just might backfire and bite them in their collective buttoxes.

Can a business move into a town and demand to be the only one of that type of business?
Shades of Wal-Mart! Put the other's out of business and emerge the only game in town. FREE enterprise? Or forced participation?

It appears to me that The Brian's greed knows no boundries.

I'd like to see Nextel go under and AT&T buy them out for pennies on the dollar. Lock, stock and barrel.
Then refuse to honor the remainder of Nextel's contract with NA$CAR.
Who'd be the next in line to sponsor the series?

No thanks, The Brian.
You suck. 

It's getting closer and closer to my prediction of The Brian selling NA$CAR as a turn-key operation to Japan.
Mark my words, folks.
The Land of the Rising Sun will shine.

Then The Brian can concentrate on his first love. The destruction and reduction of football from a sport to mere "entertainment". 

[flamehothead]

That's exactly what I was trying to say HH.

I think The Brian will have trouble in the future finding a sponsor for the series if Nextel were to leave. The Brian is going about this all wrong but thats ok because EVERYONE is seeing the REAL Brian. I think he needs to remember who made this sport what it is today and that would be the fans. He also needs to remember the BOARD can elect him O.U.T. He might be the CEO but it does take Humans to do it and he isn't doing very well with keeping Humans happy lmao.

[HUDSON HORNET]

Here's a thought I think I thunk.

Can y'all imagine what kind of race car DRIVER The Brian would be? 

I shutter at the thought I think I thunk.   

[FS Ren]

IMO, if the present contract with Nextel DOES allow what The Brian is attempting to do, then the contract is all wrong. Since when is a sponsor in charge of what other sponsors are allowed to sponsor, --- teams and/or events? Sure seems counter-productive to me. And a tad like a monoploy.
Does Nextel actually believe that by being the only sponsor of it's type that their business will increase? If so, I think they're as greedy as The Brian. Both of their actions just might backfire and bite them in their collective buttoxes.

This is less restrictive than the arrangement that Winston had. There were no other Tobacco companies allowed to compete at ANY level of NASCAR when Winston was the sponsor.  Nextel's contract only precludes other telcoms from Cup level sponsorships. 

Somebody has to enforce the contract.  Since NASCAR signed a contract saying that there wouldn't be any other telcom companies in the sport other than those already there, they have to ensure that there are no other telcoms in the sport, other than those already there.   To do otherwise would put them in breach of contract.   

I believe, and this is just my opinion. I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn last night, that the reason that they are asking for the authority to remove any telcom sponsor is so they don't have to do this all over again when another merger takes place.

Ren

[Matt]

So, Ren, you support a presumptive strike against Altel in violation of the very same grandfather clause you cite as fair game? And isn't it ironic that Nextel is changing its name to Sprint.