Football star takes precautions against disruption of fantasy sports convention

Dallas Cowboys quarterback and fantasy sports convention organiser Tony Romo has made a pre-emptive move to ensure that there is no repetition of the controversial last-minute cancellation of the National Fantasy Football Convention in Las Vegas last year.

He has obtained a temporary restraining order from a Texas judge preventing the National Football League from “…contacting, by phone, email or otherwise, any past or present [National Fantasy Football Convention] sponsor or attendee in regard to the 2016 NFFC event, or attempting to interfere, in any way, with the 2016 NFFC event, and from taking any other action that would in any way harm the 2016 event.”

The 14-day order is accompanied by an invitation to the NFL to appear in court on May 11 to “show cause, if any exist, why a temporary injunction should not be issued against” the NFL.

The court stopped short of finding that the NFL discouraged its players or was otherwise instrumental in causing the cancellation of last year’s convention as has been claimed in some quarters (see previous reports), but the TRO represents a pre-emptive strike that precludes the football league from mounting any interference until further arguments have been heard.

Attormey’s working for Romo’s Fan Expo company have argued that the NFL improperly contacted players last year through the NFL Players Association and their agents to get the inaugural event cancelled.

The 2016 convention is scheduled for mid-July in Pasadena, California and will reportedly be attended by many leading football stars.

In applying for the order Wednesday, Michael Hurst, the attorney representing Fan Expo, LLC, said:

“The NFL is now trying to prevent the fans from enjoying the NFFC by going after its 2016 sponsors.”