NFLPA Ordered to Mediate with Single Mom

In a story released January 21, 2005 (“Single Mom vs. NFLPA” PRWEB), a Houston businesswoman alleges Charles Taylor, Jr., former Kansas City Chiefs NFL player, and the National Football League Players Association defrauded her in the BET/NFLPA Super Bowl party at the Pavilion, Galleria in Houston last year. The woman filed a civil complaint -- Cause No. 819789, Harris County Court No. 1, after which the judge ordered a mediation proceeding.

NFLPA checks totaling over $31,000 were signed and issued by Taylor to the producer of the show for services and equipment. The agreement was to wire-transfer the money, but Taylor deposited the worthless checks instead. When the checks were dishonored, Taylor convinced an official at Frost Bank the checks would be honored by Billy Burge (Mr. Burge is the Chairman of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority). By the time the woman discovered no funds were deposited, the show was over.

Consequently, she paid all vendors, laborers and equipment rentals, plus penalties necessary to produce the show. In spite of pleas by the woman, neither Taylor nor the NFLPA has offered any restitution.

Charles Taylor’s attorney claims Taylor is unable to pay any money to the woman. Taylor has not denied services were provided as agreed, and that the money is owed to the woman. The highly publicized BET/NFLPA party was held at the Pavilion-Galleria in Houston, an upscale facility that attracted over 8,500 guests in one evening.

The NFLPA, a union organization and a member of the AFL-CIO, represents 1,800 active and 3,000 retired NFL players. The union, along with its marketing and licensing subsidiary, "Players Inc." reportedly had an income of $165.1 million in 2004. The NFLPA negotiates and assures the terms of the NFL's bargaining agreement.

The BET co-sponsored the party with the NFLPA, which attracted NFL greats and other dignitaries in the industry. In addition to walk-in cover charges collected at the door, tickets were sold through Ticketron. To date, neither the NFLPA nor Taylor has offered any accountability or an offer to settle with the woman.

The NFLPA continues to claim Taylor was not authorized to act in the NFLPA’s behalf, and was not authorized to sponsor the party (at the time, Taylor was the V.P. of the NFLPA-Houston Chapter). But the NFLPA has yet to file charges against Taylor, who signed and distributed the worthless NFLPA checks.

Designed to reach a settlement before court proceedings, the mediation is scheduled this week. The woman was down-priced at the last minute by Taylor, and then given three worthless checks totaling over $31,000.

The city of Houston is intent on hosting the Super Bowl in the near future, but looming negative aspects such as this case have plagued their image. There is an obvious need for the city of Houston to get its house in order before competing in the Super Bowl bidding process.