Chris Spielman Files for Expansion of Lawsuit Regarding Commercial Exploitation of Player Images
By Ken Reed
Former Ohio State Buckeyes football great, Chris Spielman, has asked a judge to allow him to expand his lawsuit against Ohio State to include all 89 colleges that have contracts with sports marketing and talent agency IMG.
Spielman claims that marketing campaigns for dozens of big-time college football programs improperly use the images of thousands of current and former college football players. He contends that the players should be compensated for the use of their images. Spielman’s complaint says IMG and shoe-and-apparel-maker Nike wrongly use the likenesses of current and former players at 89 colleges and universities.
The proposed class action lawsuit claims that IMG and Nike have restricted players’ ability to “capitalize on the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears” shed by Spielman and other college players during their playing days. The complaint also calls IMG’s and Nike’s actions “patently anti-competitive and illegal.” Moreover, the complaint says actions by the companies and the universities led to the players “losing their freedom to compete in the open market.”
The following is an excerpt from Spielman’s statement:
“I have filed this amended complaint on behalf of all former players through our team of attorneys. The amended complaint was filed in order to protect the rights of all former collegiate football players associated with IMG and those who will ultimately become former players … I am now committed to pursue this case to the end on behalf of all former players, and to return the individual rights to each and every former player and those who will ultimately become a former player.”
The fight for economic justice for college athletes continues.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #22 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Rethinking Sports Fandom with Author Craig Calcaterra – We discuss Calcaterra’s new book “Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game” and explore new ways to be a fan in the year 2022.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #21 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Chatting About a Broken Game With Baseball Writer Pedro Moura – Moura is a national baseball writer for Fox Sports. We discuss how and why the game of baseball is broken, what factors caused it, and offer a few thoughts on how to “fix” a great game.
Episode #20 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Youth and High School Sports Based On What’s Best for the Athlete’s Holistic Development – We chat with long-time youth, high school and college basketball coach Jim Huber.
Episode #19 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Capturing the Spirit of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with Anika Orrock – We discuss the hoops AAGPFL women had to jump through to play the game they loved as well as the long-term impact and legacy they have in advancing sports opportunities for girls and women.
Episode #18 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Talking about the 50th Anniversary of Title IX and the Lia Thomas Controversy with Nancy Hogshead-Makar – Hogshead-Makar is a triple gold medalist in swimming, a civil rights attorney and CEO of Champion Women.
Episode #17 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Talking Sports With Legendary New York Times Sports Columnist Robert Lipsyte – We chat about Lipsyte’s amazing career and some of the athletes he covered.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
Books